The Professor's Daughter: Goblet of Fire
by K-yers
Summary: Entering her third year at Hogwarts, Calla Snape couldn't be more excited. The Triwizard Tournament is happening, and without meaning to, Calla will face her biggest challenge yet.
1. 1: The Burrow

There was a knock at my front door. I looked up from the letter I was composing for Ginny Weasley, my best friend. My owl Rowling hooted with curiosity.

The letter I was writing was regarding the Quidditch World Cup that was taking place this year. Ginny's dad could get extra tickets from his work at the Ministry. I was extremely excited to go.

It had taken the better part of two weeks out of the summer, but my dad, Severus Snape, reluctantly agreed to let me go. He was still pissy about Sirius Black escaping from under his nose earlier this year. But, he let me go probably just to get me out from his sight for a while.

I opened the door to find a familiar dark-headed boy standing on my doorstep. I blinked at the soaking wet Cameron Baker from down the street. He was looking at me with huge chocolate brown eyes.

"Hi, Calla," He said in his thin voice. "D'you know what this is?" He held out an envelope for me to take.

There was no mistaking the thick yellow envelope in my hands. It was an acceptance letter to Hogwarts.

"Cameron," I said, my voice feeling tight. "How did you get this?"

"And old man with a long beard gave it to me. He said I was a wizard and that I would be going to school with you. _Do _you go to school there? Is it even real?"

I looked back at Cameron. His dark eyes were wide with promise; he wanted Hogwarts to be real so badly. I could tell.

"Yes, it's real."

Cameron's face lit up. "Awesome! I thought it wasn't because momma and dad told me it was fake and told me to throw it away. But the man—"

"Professor Dumbledore?" I offered. Cameron nodded excitedly, his floppy brown hair hopping up and down.

"He said that it was for m-magical people. He said you'd know about it. When's first day? How do I get there? Is that an _owl _in your living room?"

"Cameron, slow down," I said. Cameron nodded excitedly again, his hair flopping everywhere and sprinkling water on my floor. I took the soaking wet eleven year old into my living room and sat him down with a towel and mug of hot chocolate. Dad was out at the moment, and thank God too. If he saw the watery mess Cameron was making right now, he'd kick the undersized boy back into the rain. I spent the next better part of an hour explaining all about Hogwarts, from the doors pretending to be walls to the teachers. At the end, my voice was almost gone and Cameron's eyes were as round as saucers.

"Wow," He gasped. "So it is real? Not for Riley or anyone else in the neighborhood, right?"

"Right, Cameron," I croaked. "Now if you excuse me, I have to finish writing this letter. It has to be delivered soon; before tomorrow."

"Okay, Calla," Cameron jumped off my couch and headed for the front door. "How do I get into the Leaky Cauldron again?" I explained for the third time and saw the little boy out. After he was gone, I pressed my back against the door.

So Cameron Baker was a wizard? I never would've guessed. But that would explain why several kids in the neighborhood thought the poor boy was a freak. But still, I never would've imagined it.

I sat down in my place beside the roaring fireplace. Rowling was preening herself and giving me random hoots here and there. I completed my letter to Ginny and re-read it.

_Dear Ginny, Dad said yes! This means I can go to the World Cup with you and the others. When should I meet you guys? Did Hermione and Harry manage to convince their families? I hope you get this before it's too late, I'll tell Rowling to fly on the double. Tell everyone I'll see them soon! Love, Calla_

I sealed the envelope up and Rowling snatched it from my hand, eager to go on another flight. Almost the second I opened the window, the black great-horned owl was flying away.

* * *

"Do you have everything, Calla?" Dad asked, his black eyes eyeing all my trunks, no doubt counting everything.

"Yeah, I'm sure. And Rowling is already on her way to the Burrow, so she won't have to go by Floo Powder." I said. I helped him stack everything into the fireplace so that it'd all get there safely. Dad threw a fistful of the glittery powder and threw it into the cramped fireplace ("The Burrow!"). When it all swirled out of sight, Dad turned to me.

"Let me know when you get there. And mind that you behave yourself. I don't want to hear either Arthur or Molly saying you gave them any grief."

"I won't Dad. I'll send Rowling when I get there." We stood and faced each other for a moment, sizing each other up without words. Then Dad turned on his heel and stalked away, no goodbye even given.

I sighed. It seemed that things would never be the same between me and Dad. After what I found out last year, there seemed to be no hope of rekindling the already tense relationship we had. Now he just seemed to tolerate me.

I stepped into the fireplace and threw the Floo Powder at my feet. I spun around like a top until my knees banged against what felt like metal. I yelped in pain as my right knee seared. It had been like this ever since earlier this year. When I had been trying to outrun a certain werewolf and had tripped and shattered my knee.

"Oh dear! Calla, are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley's voice asked as she helped me to my feet.

"Hey Mrs. Weasley," I said as she dusted me off. Soot hovered in the air as it was freed from my clothing.

"Oh, this'll take too long!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. She whipped out her wand and with one wave, I was clear of all black ash. "Are you hungry, dearie?"

"A little, thanks Mrs. Weasley," I said and sat down at the table. Mrs. Weasley waved her wand again and a platter of tiny sandwiches floated in and sat in front of me. I had just bitten in to one when Ginny walked in, her vivid red hair tangled.

"Calla!" Ginny said. I hugged my best friend. Ginny released and stole a sandwich from the platter. "Hermione showed up just fifteen minutes ago."

Upon hearing her name, Hermione Granger entered, smiling. "Calla!" She also gave me a hug. "How was your summer?"

"Kind of boring actually," I said taking a bite of one of my sandwiches, before anyone else could.

"It's because we weren't there!" The voice of Fred Weasley shouted from behind me. I had just turned before both the Weasley twins crushed me in the usual hug.

"We missed you, Snapey!" George said before releasing me. The first thing I noticed was that their hair had grown way longer than the last time I saw them.

"Nice to see you too," I said, turning slightly red as Fred released me. I couldn't figure out why though; I thought I had gotten used to the Weasley twins' presence.

"We get to go save Harry from his relatives later," George said. "Want to come with?"

I shrugged. "I guess,"

"Awesome!" Fred punched the air. "I told you she'd come along Georgie. No need for you to stress out over it."

George turned a shade of red that clashed with his hair. But before he could say anything, Mr. Weasley and Ron walked into the already crowded kitchen.

"Good morning, Molly," Mr. Weasley said, stopping to give his wife a peck on the cheek. Mrs. Weasley blushed severely and giggled to herself. I hid a smile at their relationship.

"Hey there, Calla," Ron said, edging around his older brothers to hug me. It was awkward; Ron and I had never been on hugging terms before. But since I had to drag him to the safety of the castle earlier this year, I guess he felt like he owed me.

"Hey Ron," I said. "Is your leg alright?" Ron shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess it is. How's your knee?"

I shrugged. "It gives me trouble sometimes, but it'll leave afterwards."

Mr. Weasley clapped his hands together. "Alright! Everyone who's coming to pick up Harry, follow me into the study!" And he marched out of the cramped kitchen.

"Coming, Snapey?" George asked. I glanced back at Ginny and Hermione; both of them had knowing looks on their faces. I blushed and led the way into the study.

Mr. Weasley passed Floo Powder out to us and led the way into the emerald flames. I sucked in my breath before following the twins.


	2. 2: The Dursleys

"Ouch!"

I landed on top of someone; Fred I think. "What's happening?" I asked, trying to get off of Fred as much as possible, but it only landed me sliding down the brick wall to scramble on top of Ron. Ron started swearing at me when Harry's voice broke through.

"Mr. Weasley, can you hear me? Mr. Weasley it's Harry…the fireplace has been blocked up. You won't be able to get through there."

"Damn!" Mr. Weasley said. "What on earth did they want to block up the fireplace for?"

"They've probably got an electric fire," I said, knowing a great deal about Muggles due to living so close to them.

"Do they really, Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked excitedly. "Electric, with a _plug_? Ouch—Ron!"

"What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?" Ron asked.

"Oh no, Ron," Fred said very sarcastically. "This is exactly where we want to be."

"Yeah we're having the time of our lives in here." George said, his voice sounded muffled. I figured his face was pressed against a wall.

"Stand back Harry!" Mr. Weasley called.

Another man from the other side of the boards bellowed. "Wait a moment! What exactly are you going to—"

BANG.

We all tumbled out of the fireplace in a heap. I ended up landing on George's stomach, but I hurried to scramble up off of me.

"That's better," Mr. Weasley panted. "Ah—you must be Harry's aunt and uncle!"

I turned to the people Mr. Weasley was addressing and wondered how Harry could stand them. His Uncle Vernon was as fat as a well-fed pig, with very little neck and a whole lot of mustache. The man's face was a light shade of purple, making me think he was about to suffocate. Harry's Aunt Petunia was just as Harry described her; tall and thin with a horse-like face. She glared at all of us from over her long and slanted nose.

"Hello Harry!" Mr. Weasley said, unaffected by the Dursley's rudeness. "Got your trunk ready?"

"It's upstairs," Harry said, grinning. I waved at him, but he came over to give me a brief one-armed hug.

"We'll go get the trunk," Fred said. He and George left the room. I vaguely wondered how they knew where Harry's room was, but I guess it really didn't matter.

"Well," Mr. Weasley said, swinging his arms slightly, while trying to find the right words to break the nasty silence. "Very—erm—very nice place you've got here."

The living room was covered in a thick layer of dust and bits of brick. Maybe it was nice underneath it all, but Mr. Weasley remark didn't fly well with the Dursleys. Vernon's face purpled and Petunia started chewing her tongue. Then her eyes found me.

Out of all the reactions I expected from Harry's aunt, this one was completely unexpected. Petunia's eyes got so wide I could see the whites of her eyes. Her face turned the color of sour milk and she gaped at me as if I was living sin. Luckily, she didn't seem able to speak.

A porky boy Harry's age darted into the room, Fred and George at his heels carrying the trunk between them. Their faces were cracked into identical evil smiles.

"Ah right," Mr. Weasley said. "Better get cracking then." He took out his wand and the Dursleys reacted by drawing back on to the wall as one. Mr. Weasley ignored them and pinched some Floo Powder from his sleeve and into the fireplace. Emerald flames reared up at once. "Off you go, Fred."

"Coming," Fred said. "Oh no—hang on—"

A bag of sweets had spilled out from Fred's pocket and the contents were now rolling all over—big, fat toffees in brightly colored wrappers. Fred scrambled around, cramming the candies back into his pockets, then gave the Dursleys a cheery wave, stepped into the fireplace. Petunia gave a shuddering gasp. There was a whooshing sound, and then Fred was gone.

"Right then, George," Mr. Weasley said. "You and the trunk."

Harry helped George get the trunk into the flames. It disappeared with another whooshing noise, and George stepped forward the stand beside the mantle. But before he left, he turned to me and said, "See ya Snapey," and he vanished.

Harry's aunt made another shuddering gasp at Fred and George's nickname for me, but I ignored and stepped forward to head back to the Burrow.

But all of a sudden there was a gagging and sputtering going on from beside the coffee table. I craned my neck to see Harry's cousin, Dudley I believe his name was, choking on a foot-long, purple, slimy thing that was rolling out of his mouth. It took me a moment to realize that was Dudley's tongue—and that there was a brightly colored toffee wrapper lying on the floor beside him.

"Fred Weasley, you heartless jerk," I muttered. Petunia threw herself beside her son as Dudley's tongue actually started to grow. Mr. Weasley tore his eyes from the scene to glance at me and Ron.

"You two get back to the Burrow, and mind that you tell the twins that they're in severe trouble when I get back!"

"After you, _Snapey_," Ron said, sneering out the nickname. I frowned at him; I had actually grown fond of the name Fred and George had bestowed upon me. Ron saw my expression and rolled his eyes. "Fine; ladies first Calla."

I stuck my tongue out at him childishly and stepped into the roaring green flames. I banged my knees again upon reentering the Weasleys kitchen.

"Gosh darn it," I said. I moved out of the way so that Ron wouldn't crash into me.

"No need for such language," George said from a seat at the table. Fred laughed from the stove.

"Did he eat it, Snapey?" Fred asked. His freckled face was eager and bright. So was his twin's.

"Yes, what did you give him anyway?" I asked.

"Ton-Tongue Toffee," Fred said brightly. "George and I invented them, and we've been looking for someone to test them out all summer…"

George burst into laughter. "I can just imagine the look on that porky kid's face when he bit into one."

I frowned at the two of them. "It still wasn't nice guys," Both twins looked at me as if they had never seen me before. I felt my tough resolve melt as a picture of Dudley's pain entered my brain. An unwilling laugh bubbled to my lips. "But it was kind of funny…"

I laughed and George heaved a fake sigh. "Thank goodness; I thought we lost you there for a second Snapey."

There was a large whoosh from the fireplace. I backed away just in time for Ron, Harry, and Mr. Weasley to appear from the flames. Mr. Weasley was looking angrier than I had ever seen him.

"That wasn't _funny_, Fred!" He shouted. "What on earth did you give that Muggle boy?"

"I didn't give him anything," Fred said with another evil grin. "I just _dropped_ it…It was his fault he went and ate it, I never told him to."

"You dropped it on purpose!" Mr. Weasley roared. "You knew he'd eat it, you knew he was on a diet—"

"How big did his tongue get?" George asked eagerly.

"It was about four feet long before his parents would let me shrink it!"

I roared with laughter along with the rest of them.

_"This isn't funny!" _Mr. Weasley shouted. "That sort of behavior seriously undermines wizard—Muggle relations! I spend half my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own sons—"

"We didn't give it to him because he was a Muggle!" Fred said.

"We gave it to him because he's a great bullying git," George said. "Isn't he Harry?"

"That's not the point!" Mr. Weasley raged. "You wait 'til I tell your mother—"

"Tell me what?" Mrs. Weasley's voice took everyone by surprise. She stared Mr. Weasley down. "Tell me what, Arthur?"

Mr. Weasley hesitated. I could tell that, however angry he was, he hadn't really intended to tell Mrs. Weasley what had happened. There was a silence, in which Ginny and Hermione peeked in through the doorway. I edged around the crowd, brushing past George in the process. "Good luck," I muttered out of the corner of my mouth to him. George jumped and gave me a tiny nod in response. I headed for Ginny's room while she followed. When we were finally in the safety of her room, I explained what had happened. But before I could finish, we heard Mrs. Weasley screaming at Fred and George from the kitchen.


	3. 3: Cedric Diggory

I awoke a few days after the incident at the Dursleys to Ginny shaking me awake. I grumbled and quickly dressed, butterflies of excitement bubbling in the pit of my stomach. I was sharing the room with Ginny and Hermione, and we all waited until everyone was fully ready before heading downstairs.

Mrs. Weasley had already packed a light breakfast and lunch for later in brown paper bags for us. Mr. Weasley was sitting at the table stirring through the morning's newspaper. I was munching on the granola Mrs. Weasley had packed for me when the boys all trooped in. I figured we all looked exhausted, due to the boys having large bags under their eyes and looking like the walking dead.

Harry took the left over seat beside me; Ginny stiffened on my other side. I rolled my eyes at her and continued to munch on my granola.

"George!" Mrs. Weasley yelled sharply, and we all jumped.

"What?" George asked in an innocent tone that fooled no one.

"What is that in your pocket?"

"Nothing!"

"Don't you lie to me!" Mrs. Weasley pointed her wand at George's pocket. _"Accio!"_

Several small and brightly wrapped candies flew from George's pockets and into Mrs. Weasley's outstretched hand. George made a grab for them but they flew out of his reach.

"We told you to destroy these!" Mrs. Weasley said furiously, holding up the Ton-Tongue Toffee. "We told you to get rid of the lot! Empty your pockets, both of you!"

It was an unpleasant scene; the twins had tried to smuggle as many toffees out of the house as possible, and it was only by using her Summoning Charm that Mrs. Weasley managed to find them all. Toffees were zooming out from all sorts of unlikely places, including the lining of George's jacket and the turn-ups of Fred's jeans.

"We spent six months developing those!" Fred shouted at his mother as she threw the toffees into the fireplace.

"Oh a fine way to spend six months!" She shrieked. "No wonder you didn't get more O.W.L.s!"

The atmosphere was not friendly at all when we took our departure. Mrs. Weasley was still glowering as she kissed Mr. Weasley goodbye and Fred and George each hoisted their rucksacks onto their backs and walked out without a word to her.

"Have a lovely time, and _behave yourselves_." Mrs. Weasley told us as we exited the Burrow and followed Mr. Weasley into the meadow surrounding his house.

It was chilly and the moon was still out. I was curious as to how we were getting to the Quidditch World Cup. That curiosity was muffled when Fred snuck up behind me and started ransacking my backpack and jacket pockets.

"Fred what are you doing?" I asked, keeping my voice down so my voice wouldn't carry down to where Mrs. Weasley was standing outside the Burrow. Ginny stopped walking and turned around to see what the trouble was.

Fred reached into the lining of my front pocket and shouted quietly with delight. He removed his hand and pulled forth three brightly wrapped candies. I stared at it with Ginny staring astounded at the smuggled Ton-Tongue Toffee.

"Good thinking George, planting a few on Snapey. Mom would never suspect her!" Fred said triumphantly. He laughed at my expression and ran to catch up with the rest of the group. George winked at me before chasing after his brother. I glanced at Ginny before speaking.

"Seriously, why am I friends with them?"

We had entered a grove of trees when we were joined by two people. I vaguely recognized Cedric Diggory from school, but only because my mind had made a mental note of how cute he was. I exchanged a glance with Ginny and Hermione and we all struggled to hide our nervous smiles from the others. I think George saw, but when I looked over at him he turned away really fast. I _did_, however, notice how his face turned tomato red.

"This is Amos Diggory everyone!" Mr. Weasley announced. Mr. Diggory was a stout man with balding dark brown hair and spectacles sitting at the tip of his nose. He looked very different from his better-looking son.

"Long walk, Arthur?" Mr. Diggory asked.

"Not too bad," Mr. Weasley said. And you?"

"Had to get up at two, didn't we Cedric?" Mr. Diggory said. "But we couldn't miss the Quidditch World Cup, now could we?" He cut off, peering at all of the teenagers standing behind Mr. Weasley. "Are these all yours?"

Mr. Weasley laughed. "Oh no, Amos, only the redheads." He started pointing us out. "This is Calla Snape—a friend of Ginny's—Hermione Granger and Harry Potter are both Ron's friends."

"Merlin's beard," Mr. Diggory said. "Harry _Potter_?"

"Er—yeah," Harry said awkwardly. I felt a stab of pity for him. Mr. Diggory stared rudely at Harry's scar with his eyes very wide.

"Ced's talked about you of course," Mr. Diggory said. "Told us all about playing against you last year at Quidditch…I said to him, I said—Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that _you beat Harry Potter_!"

Fred and George were scowling and I frowned at Mr. Diggory along with Ginny and Hermione. Cedric looked embarrassed.

"Harry fell off his broom, Dad," He muttered. "I told you…it was an accident…"

"Yes, but _you _didn't fall off, did you?" Mr. Diggory roared, slapping his son on the back. "Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman…but the best man won. I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on; you don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"

"Must be nearly time," Mr. Weasley said hastily. I'm glad he did; Fred, George, and Ron all looked almost close to attacking Mr. Diggory. We all headed at a brisk pace to the top of a steep hill.

At some point Cedric walked up to me. "So, are you Professor Snape's kid, or is the name just a coincidence?"

I laughed. "Yeah, I'm his kid." There was an awkward pause.

"Sorry about my dad," Cedric muttered. "He can get a little too proud every now and then."

"Thanks for the apology, Cedric," I said, aware of the looks Ginny and Hermione were giving me. "But I think it might be Harry you need to apologize to."

Cedric nodded. "You're right, but I just wanted to make sure you weren't like your dad at all."

I sighed, remembering when someone last year had continued to comment on how Severus Snape and I weren't alike. "I've heard that several times before. Don't apologize; just don't get the habit of judging people before you know them."

Cedric looked shocked at my words, but nodded. "You're right. And I'm sorry about that." There was another pause. "So I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, I guess," I said. We separated and I ignored that pointed looks I was getting from Ginny and Hermione. "Don't say anything."

And they didn't.


	4. 4: Terrible Company

The Portkey was a slimy old boot. Ginny and I had run ahead of the group to be the first to see it. Now that we were there, we both stared at it with apprehension.

"Have you ever traveled by Portkey?" I asked.

"Nope; have you?" Ginny asked. I shook my head.

"No need to look so grim girls!" Mr. Weasley cried as the rest of the group got closer. "Now everyone get a grip on it!"

I heard Harry ask Ron what a Portkey was, but no one was able to answer due to the boot starting to shake. I quickly grabbed on to a shoelace. Everyone got a piece of the gritty boot to hold on to, and after a solid minute of lying there awkwardly, I felt a large jerk on my naval and was yanked into the sky. We all spun like tops for a brief five seconds before being thrown back onto the ground.

I laid there, too nauseated to think about standing up. The only people who landed on their feet were Mr. Weasley, Cedric, and Mr. Diggory.

I disentangled myself from Ginny and stood. We had arrived on what looked like a deserted stretch of misty moor. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Diggory led the way towards a dip in the meadow. Both men checked in with some wizards in badly arrangement of Muggle clothes (one including a kilt and a poncho) and we separated. Thank goodness too; I didn't think I could handle any more of Mr. Diggory's constant bragging about his son.

We passed by a thin stretch of trees before encountering rows and rows of tents with last names staked in front. After exploring half of the names, we finally reached two that said WEEZLY.

"Ah, couldn't have had a better spot!" Mr. Weasley said happily, ignoring the fact that his name was spelt completely wrong.

I stood back and inspected the tents. Even though Mr. Weasley had booked two, there seemed to be absolutely no way we could fit eight people in both.

"Alright, boys get one, girls get the other." Mr. Weasley said before hunching over to enter the "boys" tent. I glanced uncertainly at Ginny; evidently we were sharing the same doubtful thoughts about the tents. But we followed Mr. Weasley anyway.

My jaw dropped. I had just walked into what looked like an old-fashioned, there-room flat, complete with bathroom and kitchen. There were crocheted covers on the mismatched chairs and a strong smell of cats.

"Well, it's not that big, but it'll do," Mr. Weasley said. From behind me I heard Harry mutter.

"I love magic,"

Welcome to the club, my friend, I thought.

* * *

Night spilled across the moor like spilt liquid. But even in the growing darkness, the campsite couldn't have been brighter. People had lit lanterns and torches and had formed a solid mass of a line heading out of the campsite, into the thin expanse of woodland, and into the stadium. People from all over the globe had come to watch the Quidditch World Cup. I had spotted a group of American women under a banner that read: THE SALEM WITCHES' INSTITUTE. A ways in front of us in line there was three African wizards in a friendly argument over what I would assume was who would win. I caught snatches of conversations of all sorts in different languages.

There was a large group of Hogwarts students here as well. A Gryffindor boy in Harry's year was sporting large amounts of green for Ireland. I spotted Jaime and Cersei Clegane but didn't stop to talk. Cersei and I were never on the same page and I don't think I would ever forgive her for being a part of the girls who sawed off half of my hair last year. And Jaime…Jaime was just a friend. But according to Ginny, he thought differently.

The line for entrance to the World Cup was long and thick but moved rather fast. And vendors were filing up and down the line selling merchandise and food. Ginny and I painted our faces with the Irish flag and bought green roses which we pinned into our hair. Fred and George ended up blowing all of their savings betting with a man called Ludo Bagman. Mr. Weasley had disapproved but the twins had betted with Bagman, stating that the Bulgarian Seeker will catch the Snitch, but Ireland will still win. I called them crazy along with everybody else.

The atmosphere of feverish excitement was highly infectious; I found I couldn't stop smiling no matter how hard I tried. We walked through the wood for twenty minutes, talking and joking loudly, until at last we emerged onto the other side and in the shadow of the colossal stadium. Though I could see only a fraction of the golden walls, I just knew that ten cathedrals could sit comfortably inside.

"Seats a hundred thousand," Mr. Weasley said, spotting the awestruck in everyone's faces. "Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time a Muggle have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again…bless them." He said fondly, leading the way into the packed stadium.

"Prime seats!" A Ministry witch yelled over the colorful arrangement of voices. "Top box! Straight upstairs, high as you can!"

The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple. We clambered upward with the rest of the crowd, which slowly filtered away through doors into stands to our left and right. But we kept climbing and at last we reached the top of the staircase and found ourselves in a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium and situated exactly halfway between the golden goalposts. About twenty purple and gilt chairs stood in two rows here, and I, filing into the first row with Harry, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys, looked down upon a scene the likes of what I could never imagine.

I looked over my shoulder to see who else was sharing the bow with us. So far it was empty, except a tiny creature sitting in the second from last seat at the end of the row behind us. The creature, whose legs were so short they stuck out in front of it on the chair, was wearing a tea towel draped like a toga, and its face was hidden in its hands. Harry looked to see what I was staring at and recognition flared up in his bright green eyes.

"Dobby?"

The tiny house-elf looked up and stretched her fingers, revealing enormous brown eyes and a nose the exact size and shape of a large tomato. "Did sir just call me Dobby?" The elf squeaked curiously from between her fingers. Her voice was incredibly high. Everyone else in our party looked around curiously.

"Sorry," Harry told the elf. "I just thought you were someone I knew."

"But I knows Dobby too, sir!" The elf squeaked. She was shielding her face, as though blinded by light, though the Top Box was not brightly lit. "My name is Winky sir—and you, sir—you sir must be Harry Potter!"

"Yeah I am," Harry said.

"But Dobby talks of you all of time, sir!"

"How is he? How's freedom suiting him?"

"Ah sir," Winky said, shaking her head. "I means no disrespect, sir, but I is not sure you did Dobby a favor, when you is setting him free. Freedom is going to Dobby's head, sir. _He is wanting pay for his work, sir!"_

"Pay?" I asked.

"Shouldn't he be paid?" Harry asked blankly.

Winky looked horrified at the idea. "House-elves is not paid, sir!" She gulped at the sudden sight of how far up we were all sitting and gave a terrified squeak before hiding behind her hands again.

"So that's a house-elf?" Ron commented as we all turned back around. "Weird things, aren't they?"

"Dobby was weirder," Harry said fervently.

Hermione drew our attention to something in her game day program. "A display from the team mascots will precede the match."

"Oh that's always worth watching," Mr. Weasley said. "National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show."

Gradually, the bow around us filled up. After a half hour of Mr. Weasley standing up and shaking hands with important wizards, the Minister of Magic stepped into our box, and behind him followed a hauntingly familiar pale blond head. Lucius Malfoy was puffed up all importantly with his wife Narcissa and his son Draco behind him.

Draco and I always stood on uncertain grounds. Sometimes we were close to being friends, but not exactly, the next we were at each other's throats. It didn't help that last year Draco had kissed me in front of almost everyone from Slytherin House and the Gryffindor Quidditch team. But after that incident, we had hardly spoken to one another except to insult and attempting to harm the other. Right now, I was sure we were on enemy territory.

It was a tense moment; Mr. Weasley and Lucius looked at each other with extreme dislike etched in their faces. Then Lucius cooed softly: "Good lord, Arthur, what did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"

The Minister wasn't listening. Instead he said, "Lucius has just given a _very _generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest."

"How nice," Mr. Weasley said with a very strained smile.

Lucius's eyes turned to Hermione, who went slightly pink but stared determinedly back at him. I curled my lip in a scowl that was sure to remind everyone of Dad; damn the Malfoys and their obsessive blood purity crap. Draco shot me a contemptuous look, then settled himself between his mother and father.

"Slimy gits," Ron muttered as we all turned back around. "Figures we get the worst company at the Quidditch World Cup." We all muttered and grumbled in agreement. But the next moment, Ludo Bagman charged into the box.

"Everyone ready?" He asked, his round face gleaming like a great, excited egg. "Minister—ready to go?"

"Ready when you are, Ludo," Fudge said.

All past feuds, whether they be between Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy or between me and Draco, were forgotten as the Minister of Magic announced the beginning of the Quidditch World Cup.


	5. 5: The Quidditch World Cup

"Ladies and gentlemen…welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite of our seats was switched from an advertisement for Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans to a sign that now showed: BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce…the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

At the right-hand side of the stands, the sea of red flags and banners roared their approval. From the base of their side, a gate opened wide like a mouth and a hundred hauntingly beautiful women poured out to take center-stage. Veela…

All of the men in our party stared with wide eyes and gaping jaws. I glanced over my shoulder at Draco, to see how he was reacting to the Veelas' dance. Draco's pale gray eyes were as wide as saucers and a tiny drop of drool was slipping out of his mouth. I laughed out loud but was shushed by Fred and George.

"You're distracting us!" Fred snapped at me crossly. I raised my eyebrows; that was the shortest I've ever heard Fred. I glanced at Ginny, who shrugged.

My attention was pulled from the twins to Harry, who had stood and was making a bee-line to the railing. Apparently his mind was telling him that jumping over and meeting the Veela was a fine idea. Hermione yanked him back before he could do any damage though, right as the Veela's music stopped. Angry yells filled the stadium. The crowd (or at least the men in the crowd) didn't want the Veela to stop their exotic dance.

Hermione made a loud tutting noise. _"Honestly!" _She whispered. I, for one, had to agree with her. I wasn't sure if I liked the way George had been drooling over the Veela.

Wait! Did I _seriously _just think that? I shook my head, suddenly fuzzy.

"And now," Ludo Bagman's voice roared. "Kindly put your wands in the air….for the Irish National Team Mascot!"

Next moment, there seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet zooming into the stadium. It was in one circuit at first, but then it spilt in two and crashed into each other. A rainbow glittered overhead. The crowd "ooohed" and "aaahed", as though at a fireworks display. The rainbow faded and was replaced once again by the shimmering comets. They united and merged, creating a great, glittering ball of light. Something like golden rain started pouring down. Something hit my head hard and landed in my hand. I glanced down into my palm to discover…

"Gold!" Ron yelled as heavy gold coins rained from a giant shamrock in the sky. Looking closely enough, I discovered that the shamrock was actually little bearded men with bright green vests, each carrying a minute lamp of gold.

"Leprechauns!" I exclaimed. Many people in the crowd were still fighting and rummaging around under their chairs to retrieve the gold.

The great shamrock disappeared; the leprechauns floated gently to the ground opposite of the Veela, and settled themselves cross-legged to watch the match.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome—the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you—Dimitrov—Ivanova—Zograf—Levski—Vulchanov—Volkov—Aaaaaannnd—_Krum!"_

"That's him! That's him!" Ron screamed to Harry as a tall hooded figure in red zipped out last. I clapped politely for the Bulgarian team; it was Ireland I was rooting for.

"And now, please greet—the Irish National Quidditch Team! Presenting—Connolly—Ryan—Troy—Mullet—Moran—Quigley—Aaaaaannnd—_Lynch!"_

Seven green blurs swept onto the field. I cheered as loud as possible along with my friends as the two teams began to circle each other. Bagman's voice broke through the deafening cheers like a knife.

"And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"

A small and skinny wizard, completely bald but with a mustache that could rival a walrus's, wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium, strode onto the field. A silver whistle was dangling from under his mustache, and he was carrying a large wooden crate under one arm, his broomstick under the other. Mostafa released the Bludgers and Snitch (not that I could see the latter anyway) and threw the Quaffle into the air.

"Theeeeeeeey're OFF!" Bagman screamed.

It was Quidditch as I've never seen it played. The speed of the players was incredible—the Chasers were throwing the Quaffle to one another so fast that Bagman only had time to say their names. The Irish Chasers zoomed closely together, Troy in the center, slightly ahead of Moran and Mullet, bearing down upon the Bulgarians. Troy made as though to dart upward with the Quaffle, drawing away the Bulgarian Chaser Ivanova and dropping the Quaffle to Moran. One of the Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov, swung hard at a passing Bludger with his small club, knocking it into Moran's path. Moran ducked to avoid the Bludger and dropped the Quaffle, and Levski, soaring beneath, caught it—

-And it was knocked right out of his hands by an Irish Beater, Quigley, and it was caught by Troy. Troy weaved in and out through the Bulgarian Chasers with Mullet and Moran on either side of him. They got closer to the goal posts. The Bulgarian Keeper, Dimitrov, made to save it, but he was late by a hair.

"TROY SCORES!"

I knew enough about Quidditch to see that the Irish Chasers were superb. They worked as a seamless team; their movements were so well coordinated that they appeared to be reading one another's minds as they positioned themselves. Within ten minutes, Ireland had scored twice more, bringing their lead thirty-zero and causing a thunderous tide of roars and applause from the green-clad supporters.

The match became faster still, but more brutal. Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, were whacking the Bludgers as fiercely as possible at the Irish Chasers, and were starting to prevent them from using their best moves. Twice they were forced to scatter, and then, finally, Ivanova managed to break through their ranks; dodge the Keeper, Ryan; and score Bulgaria's first goal.

At some point, one hundred thousand wizards gasped as the two Seekers, Krum and Lynch, plummeted to the ground. They had spotted the Snitch!

"They're going to crash!" Hermione screamed. She was half right—at the very last second, Krum pulled out of the dive and spiraled off. Lynch, however, hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the stadium. A huge groan rose from the Irish seats.

"Fool," Mr. Weasley moaned. "Krum was feinting!"

"It's time-out!" Bagman yelled. "As trained mediwizards hurry on to the field to examine Aidan Lynch!"

"He'll be okay, he only ploughed!" Fred reached behind me to pat Ginny on the back, for she was staring at the field with a look of horror-struck plastered to her face. "This is what Krum was after, of course…"

Lynch got to his feet at last, to loud cheers from the green-clad supporters, mounted his broom, and kicked back off into the air. His revival seemed to give Ireland a new heart. When Mostafa blew his whistle again, the Chasers moved into action with a skill unrivaled by anything I had ever seen.

The match went on for another hour and a half. It was filled with so many spirals, dives, and false alarms (like Lynch crashing again) that it started to make my head spin. In the end, Krum caught the Snitch, but when he did, Ireland was ahead one hundred and seventy to one hundred sixty. I screamed and jumped up and down with Ginny clutching my arms and screaming as well. It was then I remembered that Fred and George predicted this win, so I turned to them.

It caught me completely off guard. But right as I had turned around, George, who had been sitting beside me the whole time, grabbed my head and kissed me.

It wasn't a big kiss; it was just a peck on the lips that barely grazed. But it was enough to make us both leap back and to turn a violent shade of red that resembled a bunch of tomatoes. George's amber eyes were wide and just as confused and shocked as mine, I suppose. We stared at each other for a moment, before I became very aware of Ginny and Fred's faces. So I turned away from George and faced the field very indifferently. Fred and George left to go corner Bagman about their winnings.

Ginny was smiling widely, but my face was as stoic as I could possibly make it. I was suddenly aware of a familiar burning sensation on my back as Draco Malfoy's eyes seemed to burn a hole in my being.


	6. 6: The Dark Mark

"Don't tell your mother you've been gambling," Mr. Weasley warned the twins as we trekked down back to our tents. I walked as far away from George as possible, as judging by the dull red flush on the back of his neck, he was trying to do the same thing.

"Don't worry, Dad," Fred said gleefully. "We've got big plans for this money. We don't want it confiscated."

Mr. Weasley looked like he was going to ask what these plans were, but he decided against it. We were caught up in the river of people heading back to the campsite. Raucous singing was borne toward us on the night air as we retraced our steps along the lantern-lite path, and leprechauns kept shooting over our heads, cackling and waving their lanterns. When we finally reached our tents, nobody felt like sleeping at all, and given the level of noise around us, Mr. Weasley agreed that we could all have one cup of cocoa together before turning in. We were all soon arguing enjoyably about the match. That was when Fred gave me a wink and announced: "My favorite part of the night is definitely when Georgie and Snapey locked lips."

Mr. Weasley coughed, Ron and Harry stared, and Hermione tisked. I flushed a deep red and began to study the interesting pattern on the rug.

"Of course they didn't!" Hermione said haughtily. "And that's something that should be joked about, Fred."

"I'm not joking," Fred said, with an evil yet playful glance at me. "It was right after Ireland won; I turned around to see George and Snapey going all mushy faced on each other."

"That didn't happen, Fred." Ginny said defensively. "It was barely a peck. Nothing else happened."

I noticed that George hadn't said anything at all. I risked a glance at him to find him in the same position as me: gazing intently at the carpet at our feet.

Suddenly there was a scream from outside. No one mentioned it; at the time we all thought that someone was getting in over their head with celebrating. Then, slowly but surely, the noises in the campsite were changing. Cheerful singing had morphed into desperate screaming. I could hear people running from inside the tent. I stood along with the others and Mr. Weasley led the way to the tent door.

The light of a few fires were still burning. I could see people running away into the woods, fleeing from something that was moving fast across the field towards us. Loud jeering, roars of laughter, and drunken yells were drifting towards us; then came a burst of strong green light, which illuminated the scene.

A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upward, was marching slowly across the field. I squinted at them…They didn't appear to have faces…Then I realized that their heads were hooded and their faces masked. High above them, floating along in midair, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes. It was as though the masked figures on the ground were puppeteers, and the people above them were marionettes operated by invisible strings that rose from the wands in the air. Two of the figures were very small.

The floating people were suddenly illuminated as they passed over a burning tent and I recognized the Muggle family who lived farther up the campsite. One of the marchers flipped the wife upside down with his wand; her nightdress fell down to reveal voluminous drawers and she struggled to cover herself up as the crowd below screeched and hooted with glee.

"That's sick," Ron muttered. I watched hopelessly as the smallest child began to spin around like a top, sixty feet above the ground, his hair flopping limply from side to side.

"I'm going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley shouted to us over the screams. "You lot—get into the woods and _stick together! _I'll come and fetch you after everything is sorted out!" And without another word, Mr. Weasley disappeared into the fray.

"C'mon!" Fred roared, yanking Ginny's hand and charging away with my best friend in tow. George glanced at me before doing the same. Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran after us.

The colored lanterns that had lit the path to the stadium had been extinguished. Dark figures were blundering through the trees; children were crying, anxious and panicked voices were echoing around us in the cold night air. I felt myself being pushed to and fro by people whose faces I couldn't see. I had lost Fred and Ginny from sight, and I could no longer feel Harry, Ron, or Hermione behind me. The only thing I had that was of any familiarity was George's hand. But, suddenly, his hand was gone.

"George?" I shouted. My own voice was lost in the jumble of other panicked voices. "Ginny? Fred? _Anyone_?"

I was tackled and dragged to the side of the crowd and into ta thick tangle of bushes. I slapped and tried to get away, only to be slapped hard across the face. "Stop it, Snapey! It's me!"

I froze as I recognized George's voice. I looked up to the place where his face should've been. It was shadowed and through the dim light, I could barely make out a halo of ginger hair.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, my voice was getting higher with fear. George kept a firm grip on my wrists, as if afraid that I would start attacking him again.

"Dunno, but listen we can't start losing our head right now, Snapey! Now, listen, everything is going to be okay."

But the moment those words came out of George's mouth, a blinding green spark erupted in the air. Its light bathed us in a pale and eerie green glow. I was reminded of fireworks right before they exploded into color. Then it did explode.

George and I were knocked to the ground by the force coming from the explosion. The light remained up in the sky though, which was odd. It should've faded away. I squinted at the light in the sky, and felt a wave of cold dread wash over me like icy water.

Screams erupted from all over the forest as everyone got a good look at the terrifyingly real figure in the sky. A skull had risen high above the treetops like a grisly neon sign. A snake poured itself from the skull's open mouth and hissed, loud enough for everyone for miles to hear. I shivered and found myself pressing closer to George. His amber eyes were wide with fear but he didn't miss a beat and put a protective arm over my shoulder. I didn't even have time to be embarrassed.


	7. 7: Coming Home

The train ride to Hogwarts was no help in my mission to escape what had happened at the Quidditch World Cup. It seemed to be everything anyone would talk about. People who weren't there did nothing but ask the people who had been there nothing but pestering questions. I had stopped everyone from asking me questions by exploding on them in a way that I'm sure reminded everyone of their least favorite professor.

Rain was splattering the window of the compartment I shared with Ginny, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood. Luna was making Neville very uncomfortable.

"But you have never seen one Luna?" Neville asked.

"No, but have _you _ever seen a Crumple-Horned Snorkrat?" Luna fired back, refusing to allow Neville to call these creatures of hers imaginary.

"That's not the point!" Neville exclaimed.

"Neville just let it go." I advised. Neville looked ready to argue again but didn't. Luna gave a small smile and returned to the newest addition of the _Quibbler. _

Dad had been furious when I returned home from the Quidditch World Cup. With whom, though, I could not begin to say. He didn't seem angry with me, as how could it possibly be my fault? He wasn't angry with Mr. Weasley, who had just been doing his job. I just gave up trying to work out Dad's impossible mind and thought back to what happened after the Dark Mark had lit up the sky.

George and I had scanned around but eventually we had found Fred and Ginny hiding in a grove of trees. Fred had had his wand out and looked ready to jinx anyone who got closer than five feet. Ginny had hugged me tight and sort of pushed George out of his close place by my side. Either Fred didn't notice or didn't feel like being a jerk.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were harder to find. But that was only because they had gotten into a spat with the Ministry, who thought one of them had fired the Dark Mark. Mr. Weasley had rescued them and we all returned to where our tents had been trampled into the ground.

We had wasted no time getting back to the Burrow. And upon our arrival, Mrs. Weasley had burst into tears and almost strangled the twins. All the while, she had been blubbering about how the last conversation she would've had with them ended with them screaming at each other. Both Fred and George looked highly embarrassed and shrugged off their mother.

But now we were all back on the train to Hogwarts, everyone had separated and I was left thinking about was the way George's arm had been slung around my shoulder.

I gave myself a mental slap for dreaming about that.

George was Ginny's _brother_ for crying out loud. What if a relationship did happen between me and George, but it ended badly? How would I be able to face my best friend without seeing her brother's face back at me? The two of them closely resembled each other, and they both had the same temperament. I didn't want to lose _two _close friends.

* * *

It was impossible to reach the magic-drawn carriages to Hogwarts without getting soaked by the rain. Ginny and I ended up throwing our heads and making a wild dash for it. I when I came face to face with Cameron Baker. The dark little boy smiled broadly at me and rushed on to the boats, followed by two other pint-sized boys. On one hand, I felt happy that little Cameron had made three friends already; on the other hand, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for him.

Neither of Cameron's parents had gone with him to King's Cross Station. I had found the pint-sized eleven-year-old, already dressed in his Hogwarts robes, with his older brother, Riley. Riley Baker looked almost exactly like his younger brother. They both had the same dark demeanor and brooding, heavy-set eyebrows. But while Cameron's chocolate brown eyes were warm and brimming with innocence, Riley's were darker and more suspicious. I guess that's what happens when you witness your own parents fighting constantly.

Riley had made me swear up and down that I would look after Cameron during all of his Hogwarts years. I don't think he trusted magic that much, but he was willing enough to trust me with his beloved brother. I agreed and swore to always watch over Cameron like he was my own brother. Riley had liked that and left soon after, not wanting to hang around with the likes of wizards.

Rain spattered against the window of the magic drawn carriages. I attempted to dry off my sopping wet hair; Ginny's was in the exact same state. The carriages took us to the front steps of the castle, meaning Ginny and I would have to make a run for it again. Our carriage halted and with sly grins at each other, Ginny and I pelted through the pouring rain to the warmth of the castle.

"I wonder what the ceiling will look like," Ginny thought aloud. I shrugged, knowing the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall would mimic whatever the sky outside looked like.

"I'm guessing dark and depressing," I said cheerfully. Ginny laughed, but was cut short by a water balloon exploding at her feet. We both shrieked and jumped back a foot. Peeves the Poltergeist was beside himself with fits of wild laughter, his arms loaded with water balloons.

"Peeves!" Ginny shouted. She jumped up, trying to catch the pesky poltergeist. But Peeves merely laughed again and threw another water balloon at her; this time it landed on top of Ginny's head, drenching her again.

There wasn't much I could do to help my friend dry off, so we both just laughed at it and watched as Peeves left to torment a group of second years. And like I predicted, the ceiling was almost black with rolling storm clouds letting rain fall down, but the drops of water evaporated before it could hit anyone's head. I sighed and separated from Ginny to my appropriate place at the Slytherin table; I was finally back home.


	8. 8: Welcome Back Feast

The first years entered the Great Hall following Hagrid. I quickly caught sight of Cameron, looking nervous yet excited for the Sorting to commence. Beside him was a scrawny little boy with Hagrid's moleskin overcoat on, making him look half his already puny size. He looked at someone from the Gryffindor table, gave whoever they were a thumb's up, and mouthed "I fell in the lake!"

"There's always one oddball, isn't there?" Jaime Clegane asked from his seat across from me. Jaime was a handsome boy with golden hair and brilliant emerald eyes. And he was my only ally in all of Slytherin House.

Professor McGonagall wasted no time getting to the Sorting. And she spoke in a clear voice when she said: "Cameron Baker!"

I watched eagerly as Cameron hobbled up the stairs, almost tripping but catching himself. He sat down nervously on the stool while McGonagall placed the hat on his head. I held my breath as the gradual pause stretched until, finally, the hat screamed: _"Ravenclaw!"_

I applauded better than half the Ravenclaw table. Jaime gave me odd look. "Anything I should know about?"

I shrugged him off. "It's complicated,"

A few more kids were Sorted until a boy with dark gold hair was next. My jaw dropped when McGonagall called out: "Tyrion Clegane!"

I peered at my golden friend, but Jaime wasn't even looking at the darker boy. I glanced down the table at Cersei Clegane, Jaime's twin. She was staring straight ahead with a pinched expression. I looked back up at the kid; he was the same puny size as Cameron, but while Jaime and Cersei's hair was like spun gold, this kid's was darker gold. And I could tell from here that his eyes weren't green either.

McGonagall placed the hat on Tyrion's head. There was a pause, then: _"Slytherin!"_

"God dammit," Jaime cursed under his breath. I stared in surprise at him; what was with the use of foul language? Jaime had never cussed before. I raised my eyebrows as Tyrion took a seat by himself at the end of the table.

"Anything I should know about?" I asked.

Jaime glared daggers at me. "It's complicated,"

Other than that little spat, the Sorting was dull and soon I was starving. It took what seemed like forever, but eventually Professor Dumbledore stood up to address everyone.

"To all those older students, welcome back! And to our first years, welcome! Now I have a few announcements to make before we allow ourselves to enjoy the feast." Dumbledore paused, and my appetite grew. "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to inform you that the list of objects forbidden in the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

_"What?" _Jaime gasped. I looked around to the Gryffindor table. Harry, Fred, and George were mouthing soundlessly, apparently too appalled to speak.

Dumbledore continued, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy—but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts—"

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors to the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.

A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling.

The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face like I had never seen before. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what a human face should look like. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening.

One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye—and then it rolled right over into the back of the man's head, so that all I could see was whiteness.

The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering words I couldn't hear. Then Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody?" Dumbledore announced brightly into the silence.

There was a scattered applause; I clapped twice. Jaime continued to gape at our newest teacher.

_"Mad-Eye Moody," _Jaime muttered. "First a loony author, then a werewolf, now a freaking _Auror_? Is there anyone Dumbledore can't get?"

I shrugged and continued to study Moody. His blue eye rested on me for maybe three seconds, but then it swirled off to terrify some other student.

This year was going to be interesting, indeed.


	9. 9: The Triwizard Tournament

"As I was saying," Dumbledore said warmly, smiling at the seas of students. "We are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" Fred Weasley said very loudly from the Gryffindor table.

The tension broke as nearly everyone in the Hall laughed. Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," He said. "Though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go to a bar…"

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Er—but maybe this is not the time…no…where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament…well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young wizards and witches of different nationalities—until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

I rolled my eyes at the way Dumbledore mentioned the high death toll, as if death wasn't much of a problem.

"There have been several attempts over the years to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued. "None of which has been very successful. However, our own Departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself in mortal danger. The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their shortlisted contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

"No pressure," I muttered. Jaime snickered but was elbowed by Astoria Greengrass.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," Dumbledore spoke over the hushed mutterings of the sea of students. "The Heads of the participating schools along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose a restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age—that is to say, seventeen—will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This," Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several students had made noises at the age limit. "Is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it will be highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His eyes flitted over to the Weasley twins I noticed. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.

"And now, I have wasted your time enough already by droning on. Let us now continue to our well awaited feast: Tuck in!"

The golden platters filled themselves and I immediately helped myself to some roast beef. Across from me, Jaime was fuming about the age limit.

"They can't do that!" Jaime said. Astoria rolled her eyes.

"Of course they can, Jaime. And I don't think Professor Dumbledore was wrong by putting an age limit; for example, you would die if you competed."

I laughed as Jaime sputtered. After a while I felt watched and I turned to see the first year boy by the name of Clegane looking at Jaime with wide eyes. I was curious as to how Jaime and this kid were related (because Clegane can't be that common a name and they looked a lot alike), but I figured I would figure it out later, and continued to eat my food.


	10. 10: Electives

I awoke the next morning to receive my class schedule. As usual, Jaime stood with me.

"We have Care for Magical Creatures right after breakfast." Jaime said, mostly to himself. I scanned the sheet of paper for our second class.

"I have Divination next. What did you sign up for again?" I looked at Jaime.

Jaime shrugged. "I have Muggle Studies, though I'm starting to regret picking it out."

"Why's that?" I asked, plucking a banana nut muffin and taking a chop out of it. Jaime hesitated before answering.

"Because my dad is furious that I decided to take it. He hates Muggles; thinks they're infuriating."

I shook my head. "That's no excuse. Now c'mon, let's get down to Hagrid's before class starts." We exited the Great Hall and met up with Ginny in the Entrance Hall. Despite Jaime still being stiff around her, they had a lot in common. If Jaime wasn't so formal about hanging around Gryffindors, he and Ginny could be great friends.

We were joined by the other third years taking Care for Magical Creatures on the way to Hagrid's house. Among them were Colin Creevey, Astoria Greengrass, Cersei Clegane, and Luna Lovegood. Hagrid was waiting for us outside his small hut. He beamed at everyone as we gathered closer.

"Excellent turnout," Hagrid muttered. I took the opportunity to glance around at everyone. There were only eleven of us. I was surprised at how few third years had decided to take this class. Should I be worried?

"If you will follow me," Hagrid said, walking away from his hut. "I'll take yeh to where we'll be 'aving our 'irst lesson."

I trailed after Hagrid with Ginny at my side. Jaime hung back to be with Cersei and Astoria, the only other Slytherins to take this class. He was worried, along with the rest of them, about what Hagrid had in store for the first lesson of the year. After hearing the older Slytherins complain, I can't say that I blamed him. But Hagrid was somewhat of a friend to me, and for that, I would support his teachings.

The thought was swept from my mind as we approached a pen containing four large buckets. An acid-like aroma was wafting up from those buckets. Luna stepped forward until she was at my side.

"Are those South American plasma beetles?" Luna asked excitedly. "I've heard that they eject an aroma that's so strong, they can repel any creature that tries to harm it."

I wasn't even positive that these plasma beetles existed, but by the way whatever was in those crates smelled, I wasn't in the position to doubt Luna. But Hagrid shook his great, hairy head.

"No, no, Luna, nothing of the sort. These are flobberworms," Hagrid stepped aside to reveal the insides of the crate. I covered my nose and mouth as the dreadful stench tried to leap into my nostrils. The flobberworms themselves looked like gray, slimy, intestines that were covered with a snot-like substance.

"What are we supposed to do with these things exactly?" Cersei asked. Her bright green eyes were wide and disgusted. For once, I didn't argue with her.

"Yeh all are gonna take care of em." Hagrid said brightly, as if he couldn't see the horrified expressions on everyone's faces. My stomach started to crawl as I caught another whiff of the flobberworms aroma. "Now everyone, come grab a worm. Don't be shy: they don't bite!"

I had to disagree with Hagrid on that last part, for minutes after shoving shredded lettuce down my flobberworm's throat, it bit me hard on my middle finger. And it wouldn't let go. Ginny had to rip it off my finger. After that, greenish goo mixed with blood started oozing out of my wound. Luna had jumped forward to collect the goo; because, "Flobberworm saliva is very rare, and can only be collected minutes after it is discarded, or else it is useless."

I was immensely relieved when it was time to head off for our next elective. Ginny and I had Divination next. So we left Jaime in the Entrance Hall while he left for Muggle Studies.

The trek to Divination left us out of breath and sweaty. And when we entered the cramped and colorful classroom, my mood just furthered down the hill. The room was draped with shawls and was heavily scented by what must've been fifty different perfumes. The overall effect made me feel sleepy and stupid.

"Come in; please take a seat." A misty and accented voice said from the darkest corner. A woman stepped out who reminded me very much of an oversized dragonfly. Professor Trelawney was draped herself in bright emerald shawls with beads and glitter on every thread. Her eyeglasses caused her eyes to look twice their normal size. I had a feeling that if plasma beetles existed, they looked an awful lot like Trelawney.

Ginny and I took a table to our seats and we allowed Luna to sit with us as well. Like, Care for Magical Creatures, not many third years appeared to have signed up for this class. Only four tables out of the fifteen were taken.

"Welcome to Divination," Professor Trelawney announced in her dreamy voice. "Divination is the art of magic that specializes in prophetic properties. I would warn you, not everyone is suited for the gift of the Sight. Very few actually possess the _true _Sight. I happen to be one of those few people."

I rolled my eyes. I had a feeling that I should've listened to Harry and Ron's advice and take another class. I exchanged a glance with Ginny; it looked like we were having the same thoughts.

"My dear, please, after you break your first cup, choose a blue flowered one. I'm rather fond of the pink." Trelawney told Colin Creevey. Colin's hands had been shaking with nerves. A after a few more monologues about the wonder of the Sight, there was the unmistakable sound of shattering china. Colin was sent to receive his second cup with shame.

Ginny and I brewed our tea and drank it as quickly as Trelawney told us to. When we were finished, we both had very sweaty brows and burnt tongues.

"Should we have taken Muggle Studies?" Ginny asked. I shrugged, not being able to answer because Trelawney was right at Ginny's shoulder right then.

"What do you ladies have?" Trelawney asked in her overdramatic and misty voice. I hastily switched cups with Ginny, who gave hers to Luna, who gave her own to me. Luna went first.

"Well this looks like a sun," Luna said softly. She flipped through the textbook. "And here it says that the sun means you'll be happy. And this right here looks like a willow tree, which means many children. So Ginny will have many children and be happy."

How was there a willow tree in that cup? I shook my head at the prediction and Ginny looked very embarrassed, as her future just being predicted in front of the whole class. Trelawney and the rest of my classmates turned to me and Luna's cup. I blushed and cleared my throat.

"Okay, so this appears to be a narcissus, and the book says that you'll come to terms with what you believe in. And this looks like a pot of gold, so you'll be wealthy." I stopped, feeling silly.

Trelawney nodded and everyone looked to Ginny, who was holding my cup.

"This is a lion; the book says that lions represent moments of courage. So there'll be a moment of exceptional courage. And this here looks like a broken heart, which is pretty obvious that your heart will break. So you're going to have your heart broken, but you'll also have a large moment of bravery."

It all sounded like a load of baloney to me. But then Trelawney was gaping at me with wide eyes, making her own eyes look massive.

"My dear, I've seen your future, and it is one of hardship and pain. Many trials ahead of you will question your loyalty, despite how many times you've proven yourself. You will have your heart broken by your true love, which you will recognize by his skills in magic and the hole in his head. And if the problems between the two of you remain unsolved, you both will end up settling for second best."

There was a long silence that was broken by Colin sneezing and Luna saying "Bless you". Trelawney snapped out of her daze and continued interrogating people on their teacups. Ginny looked at me.

"What do think she meant by second best?"

I shrugged. "Who knows; what did she mean by my true love having a hole in his head?" Ginny shrugged and we continued the rest of the class time counting down until it was time to leave.


	11. 11: A Proposal

The rest of the day didn't go as well as I would've hoped. Professor McGonagall really loaded us down with homework, and Dad treated me very coldly in class today. As sad as it sounded, I was starting to get used to it.

I was sitting in the Common Room after class. Jaime had got held up by an emergency Quidditch meeting. So I was alone with Cersei, Millicent Bulstrode, and Pansy Parkinson. All three of them had reasons to hate me; most of them included Draco Malfoy. I didn't see why they couldn't move on with their lives; at the moment Draco and I hated each other. But they were glaring at me, with apparently nothing better to do. Eventually I got irritated by it.

"You planning on ripping my hair out again?" I asked loudly. All three of them looked very offended, but I still remember the pain and humiliation as several individual hairs were torn from my scalp.

"You're still hung up on that?" Millicent asked in her bullfrog voice. "It's called moving on, Snape."

"Oh, I can move on, Bulstrode. But you're forever doomed to have a voice that sounds like you swallowed your own tongue."

Millicent sputtered. Pansy looked at me with an expression nothing short of pure hatred. That reminded me: "Why do you all hate me so? Draco is clearly not interested in me, so why are you wasting your time?"

None of them responded, leading me to wonder if Draco had moved on at all. But before anyone could say anything else, the Quidditch team entered the Common Room. Jaime made a move to greet me, but I grabbed all my things and left to the girl's dormitory.

The days melted by without anything exciting happening. But that didn't stop me from keeping an eye out for Cersei and her shenanigans. I wasn't going to have my hair ripped out again.

I started running into the Weasley twins more often than usual. Fred always overacted being surprised, so I had the feeling that it wasn't an accident. George just looked awkward and attempting to keep his cool whenever it happened, so I also had the feeling that it was all Fred's idea.

I had just been on my way to the library for my study session with Ginny when I literally crashed into them. The pile of books that had been in my arms tumbled to the floor.

"Sorry 'bout that Snapey," Fred said. "We didn't see you there."

"Of course you didn't," I mumbled, leaning down to retrieve my books. George got down as well to help. I couldn't help but notice how close he was.

"So how's your first week back been, Snapey?" Fred asked from his vantage point above. I didn't like the way he was just standing there like none of this was planned.

"Pretty good," I said. I had gathered most of my books and George had the rest. But he wasn't giving them up. I narrowed my eyes at him and waited for them.

"So was ours," Fred continued. "Have you had Moody yet?" I looked at him and shook my head. Fred grinned evilly. "Oh, wait 'til you do. He'll really whip you third years into shape: CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" He barked suddenly, causing me to drop my books. I glared at him. "Sorry again, Snapey. But you've got to learn to stop being such a klutz."

George suddenly shoved the rest of my books into my arms. I gasped and was almost knocked over.

"Oops," George mumbled. He muttered an apology and stood up rather fast. I stood up as well, annoyed a little bit but flustered at the same time.

"Once again, Snapey, we're pretty darn sorry." George said. He sounded different, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

"Well, see you guys later," I said carefully. I stepped around them and continued on my way to the library. Right before I got out of earshot, George started talking about some girl in their Charms class.

Ginny was already at our regular spot in the library by the time I got there. Her head snapped up when I slammed my textbooks on the table.

"What held you up?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Your brothers," I grumbled. I retold my story of what happened. Ginny just shrugged it off.

"They were probably just messing with you. Don't worry about it."

I shrugged and started to take my friend's advice. But when I opened my Charms textbook, a folded up piece of paper fell out. Something told me to hide this from Ginny, so I quickly pulled the paper from the table and into my lap. Ginny was cramming over the Transfiguration homework. So she didn't hear the sound of paper being slowly unfolded.

The handwriting was small and in a messy scrawl, as if it had been written quickly. But it didn't take much time deciphering the note.

_Meet me in the Astronomy Tower at midnight tonight. We need to talk._

There was only one other person who touched my textbook. George had taken his sweet time giving my books back. What on earth did we have to talk about? Then again, what else? We had both avoided each other ever since we semi-locked lips at the end of the Quidditch World Cup. I had to admit, I kind of wanted to talk to him about it also.

But a small corner of my mind was warning me against going. Pansy, Cersei, and Millicent were obviously intent on getting payback. What if this whole meeting thing was a petty work of theirs?

My mind was telling me to ignore this note. But my heart was telling me the opposite.

"What's up with you, Calla?" Ginny asked, snapping me back to reality. I stuffed the note into my pocket. "Your face is flushed."

"Is it?" I asked. I pressed my hand against my face and sure enough, it was burning.

"Yes, are you okay?" Ginny looked very concern. I wanted to tell her about the note in my pocket, but something was telling me to keep my big mouth shut.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's nothing. Now what's going on in Professor McGonagall's assignment?"

Ginny looked like she didn't believe me but she didn't raise any questions. For this I was grateful. I really tried to focus on my homework, but my mind couldn't go far without going back to my meeting with George that was just in a few hours.


	12. 12: The Astronomy Tower

"You okay Calla? You're not eating much," Jaime asked. His green eyes were wide with concern.

I started. "What? Oh yeah, I'm fine: just tired, I guess." I said that far too quickly, I thought right as the words escaped my mouth. Jaime didn't look like he believed me. His eyebrows were knitted together in a perfect V.

"Are you sure; because you've been very distracted lately." Jaime's voice was dripping with suspicion. I nodded too fast again. Jaime's eyes narrowed. "You know that if something was up, you could tell me right?"

"Yeah, I know Jaime." I said. Jaime looked affronted.

"Good; because I thought we were closer friends than this." I felt bad about Jaime's wounded pride, but if I couldn't tell Ginny about my meeting with George, then I definitely couldn't tell the likes of Jaime Clegane.

"What time is it?" I asked. Jaime checked his watch.

"Ten past seven; can I ask why you want to know?"

"I don't think so," I said. Jaime glared at me and shoveled another bite of his pork chops in his mouth. I sighed and out of habit, I glanced over to the Gryffindor table.

Fred and George were making jokes, as usual. Their best friend Lee Jordan was with them, and so were the Chasers on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The girl I recognized as Angelina Johnson was sitting close to Fred, laughing very loudly at his jokes and twirling a finger through her hair. Her attraction to Fred Weasley couldn't have been more obvious.

Another Chaser named Katie Bell was right beside George. And Katie was doing the same thing to George that Angelina was doing to Fred. A wave of jealousy tidal waved into me and I fought to keep a straight face. On the bright side, George didn't seem to be reacting to Katie's not so subtle touches on his arm. I stabbed at my fruit salad without really knowing.

"Poor salad," Jaime murmured but I ignored Jaime's obvious jealousy and irritation. He wasn't helping right now. At that moment George's amber eyes turned and met my black eyes.

The electricity was crackling like lightning. I could probably grab Jaime's knife and stab the tension in the air between me and George. Then he grinned a wicked half smile and I felt my resolve melt.

What was happening to me?

Dinner time finished and the Gryffindors managed to leave first. Us Slytherins were next so we stood up to leave right after the Gryffindors. I found myself wanting to hide from George, but also wanting to keep him in sight.

"Hey Calla!" Ginny called from the Gryffindor crowd. I was completely aware at how close she was to the twins. But I left Jaime's side for the one beside Ginny. As I got closer, I caught a comment from that Katie Bell chick.

"So how are you guys planning on getting into the Tournament?" Even though the words were directed at both Fred and George, her eyes were all for George. I felt a deep dislike for Bell swept over me, despite the fact that I had never even spoken to her before.

"Top secret, Katie: but once one of us gets in, we'll have to take you ladies all out with the victory gold." Fred said. I rolled my eyes and Ginny did the same. I noticed then at how Ginny had the same amber eyes George had.

"I hope they know they don't have a chance of getting in the Tournament." Ginny said. "Whatever Dumbledore has up his sleeve, Fred and George won't be able to pull it off."

"Your lack of confidence in our skill is heartbreaking, little sis." I almost jumped out of my skin when George's voice sounded almost right behind me. I turned and saw him looking determinedly at his younger sister. I turned back at Ginny; two could play at this game.

"So what do you ladies have planned for the first weekend?" Fred asked nonchalantly. I glanced at him; he didn't give me a pointed look when he said that, was it possible that George hadn't told his brother about the meeting? Not likely.

"I don't know," Ginny said. "What do you think Calla?" My face grew warm as everyone turned their heads toward me.

"Oh, I don't know." I said tightly. Fred noticed I was hiding something, because he grinned evilly at me.

"You really don't know, huh, Snapey?" Fred asked. "Well, George and I are in need of a trigger for another prank on dear old Filch. You want in?"

Because I couldn't think of anything else to say, and because I'm stupid when put on the spot, I said yes. Fred smiled widely. "Great, we'll see you then dear little Snapey." Fred and the rest of them walked by, George glanced back at me before disappearing from the hall. I exhaled a breath I didn't even know I had been holding.

* * *

The dormitory was pitch black. I sat up in bed, pausing to listen to the faint snores and mumbles of my classmates sound asleep. I waited until I was sure everyone was actually asleep. Then, as quietly as I possibly could, I slipped into jeans and sneakers and a T-shirt. I threw a black jacket over it all and crept out of the dormitory.

I made it to the Common Room without being spotted, but there was someone still in there. They were sitting in the big armchair by the dying fire; they looked like they were packing up their stuff. Well they better hurry up, I thought. It was fifteen minutes to midnight and I still had to battle the rest of the castle to get to the Astronomy Tower.

The fifth year exited into the boy's dormitories and I didn't waste time dashing across the Common Room and out the entrance. The dungeons hallways were as dark as usual, but this time they cried out menace. I couldn't risk lighting my wand up, because there was a very high chance that a prefect would see it.

I wound my way into the Entrance Hall. There was a Ravenclaw prefect standing in there though. It didn't look like she was moving. I found myself asking myself, "What would Fred and George do?" The answer came to me almost instantly.

I pointed my wand to a tapestry on the other end of the hall, the farthest away from where I wanted to go. I murmured a spell under my breath and the tapestry fell to floor, having just been torn apart. The prefect charged over to investigate, and I took my chance and bolted out of the Entrance Hall.

The rest of the journey was a series of stops and goes. I was almost caught by Mrs. Norris, but I stunned that little demon-cat and ran the rest of the short distance to the entrance of the Astronomy Tower.

George was waiting for me when I reached the top of the tower. He had a sad expression on his face, and I realized that it was probably at least twenty minutes past midnight. He had thought I stood him up.

But when my footsteps caused a creak in the floor, George spun around with a hopeful expression on his face. His amber eyes lit up when he saw me standing there.

"You actually came," George said. I nodded.

"I'm sorry it took so long. I kept getting held up by prefects." I said. George's eyes widened for a second.

"On the way back down, I'll show you a passageway that'll take you right past everyone." We stood there awkwardly for a moment. Then he sneezed.

"Bless you," I responded immediately. George smiled and nodded his gratitude.

"George, what did you want to talk about?" I asked. George took a step closer.

"I wanted to talk about what happened after the Quidditch World Cup." George Weasley actually started blushing. "It was uncalled for and I've noticed how you've started acting different around me ever since. Everything between us seems awkward and tense now, and I don't like it."

I was speechless. He had wanted to apologize? "How come you never apologized before? I mean, it's been over a month. You've had plenty of time to dos so."

George glanced at his feet before meeting my eyes evenly. "Because I didn't want to."

My palms felt clammy all of a sudden, and my mouth went as dry as dust. Butterflies erupted in my stomach and my ability to speak was gone. George took my silence for an insult.

"I'm sorry, but what I meant was that, I actually like you Snapey. More than I probably should. But I didn't want to apologize for something that I really wanted to do."

I smiled at him and stepped closer. "I don't want your apologies, George. Because I kind of enjoyed that peck." George lit up as bright as a Christmas and threw his arms around me. I had always thought of Weasley twin hugs as suffocating, but this one was heartfelt and real. And when George released me, I felt a little sad.

"And you don't have to join Fred and me on our prank next weekend. I could tell you were put on the spot back there."

"No; I actually kind of want to go with you guys. It'll give me more insight on this school." I said mischievously. George grinned evilly and started to lead the way down the stairs.

"Very well then, my pupil; pay close attention to how to journey back down to the Slytherin Common Room without running into _any _prefects on the way." George said in a fake old man voice and he grabbed my hand firmly before dragging me out into the open.

We only walked to a tapestry with a flock of magpies on it before pulling me behind it. "Now pay attention to this." George whispered into my ear. I felt shivers go down my body. He tapped a brick with an L shaped scratch before whispering clearly: "One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told."

The bricks rearranged themselves until a decent sized doorway was right in front of us. I nodded in approval and stepped in first, trusting George with this. Although I did have a few doubts when the passageway sealed itself after George walked through.

_"Lumos," _George said from somewhere behind me. Faint silver light erupted from the tip of his wand. And we were both bathed in bright silver. George's ginger hair was turned pale gray. He gave me a wide smile. "Follow me, little Snapey." I stepped to the side so George could take the lead. He shimmied in front of me and grabbed ahold of my hand before continuing down the spiral staircase.

The stairs seemed to go on forever. After a while, I started feeling cramped; we were surrounded by nothing but wet stone walls. This all felt like a dream. But the warmth radiating from George's hand reminded me that this was all very real.

"How long has this been here?" I asked. George shrugged in the dim light.

"Probably since the beginning; I only discovered it sometime two years ago. It never had much use until now." George glanced back at me to make his point.

"And where does it lead to?" I asked, feeling shy in his intense gaze.

"It's a little ways away from the Slytherin Common Room entrance. The doorway is right behind a tapestry of magpies."

"Just like the one upstairs?"

George nodded. "And to get in, just use the same chant that I used before. Do you remember it?"

"Not really," I admitted. George gave me a sly grin from over his shoulder.

"Shame on you, Snapey; that's detention for you." George said playfully. I rolled my eyes and found myself playing along.

"And when should this detention be served?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

George wriggled his eyebrows at me. "Is next Saturday night at midnight good for you?" I nodded, impressed with my own new found daring. Our tunnel ended suddenly with a door, which I assumed was right behind the tapestry George spoke of.

"Question Professor George?" I said. George was wriggling past me to head on his way back up, but he paused to listen to me. "Should we tell anyone about…us?"

George hesitated before answering. "Do you think we should?" I shook my head.

"Let's keep it between us for a while, until we see how this turns out."

"I second that," George said enthusiastically. "Now to get out you just push on that brick with the scratch." He pointed to a brick with another L shaped scratch. "Oh, and another thing."

I turned to George, expecting him to say something. But I was surprised when his lips landed on mine. This kiss was soft and slow, much different from mine with Draco and the first kiss I had with George Weasley. When we separated, I pushed back on the door and ended up falling through the passageway. I crawled back into the Slytherin Common Room and my dormitory with my head spinning faster than the speed of light.

It wasn't my first kiss, but it was the first that mattered.


	13. 13: Durmstrang and Beauxbatons

I honestly felt like I was a different person. When I was away from George, I was agitated, nervous, and jumpy. The other day in Potions I had accidently spilled an entire bottle of narcissus extract into my cauldron. It had caused several small explosions and it took Dad thirty whole minutes to clean everything up. I wasn't given detention, just that look parents give you when they're disappointed in you. I would've rather taken the detention.

But when I was with George, I was turned into a brand new person. Someone who was daring and witty and up for anything a Weasley twin could throw at them. We had started venturing out of the Astronomy Tower to set up pranks for the castle to wake up to. Last week George and I had jinxed a suit of armor to act as a vacuum cleaner and suck in the next pedestrian. That pedestrian turned out to be Goyle, who was so large he couldn't even fit into the armor. And thanks to George's extensive knowledge of secret passageways and hiding places, we were never caught while we set up these glorious pranks.

Our meetings had turned into two or three nights a week. George always found some way to give me a note confirming the time and place. Mostly it was midnight at the Astronomy Tower, but sometimes it escalated to the kitchen or Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

I had been eating my banana nut muffin when Rowling, my black Great Horned owl, swooped in and landed, knocking over my orange juice. Attached to her foot was a tiny scroll. I knew it was another of George's letters before I even saw the scrawl that read: _Astronomy Tower at midnight._

"Is that another love letter?" Jaime asked scathingly. I stared at him in surprise. George and I had kept our original agreement and hadn't told anybody. Play it cool I thought.

"What makes you think it's a love letter?" I asked innocently. Jaime sneered.

"You've been getting more mail than lately and every time you read one your face turns red." Jaime paused then growled. "I'm not stupid, Calla."

"I never said you were." I snapped.

"You sure as hell were implying it!" Jaime said heatedly. His voice had risen and several people around the Great Hall turned to see what was happening. I saw George glaring between me and Jaime protectively.

I was saved by the bell as it sounded to let the students know it was time for their morning classes. I stood up and left Jaime behind to go to Care for Magical Creatures. I was almost to the Entrance Hall when a hand grabbed me from behind and pulled me into an empty classroom. I struggled for a moment before I heard George's voice telling me to calm myself.

"What was that all about?" George asked. Concern was flashing in his amber eyes.

"I don't know," I said. "Jaime's been getting moody lately. I think he knows I've been meeting someone, but he doesn't know who."

George frowned. "Should I go beat him up?" He asked sarcastically.

I giggled despite myself. "Nah; I'm sure he'll get over it, whatever it is."

I left first, disappearing into the crowd of students on their way to class. George would come out two minutes later and head on his way to Transfiguration. Ginny was waiting for me in the Entrance Hall.

"What happened to you? I've been waiting here forever." Ginny asked.

"I ran into someone," I answered vaguely. Ginny shrugged and we continued to Hagrid's hut. We were still working with the flobberworms, which had grown three times in length. Their temper didn't cool off either; Colin Creevey had to be sent to the Hospital Wing because his bite was turning his finger green. That's how we discovered that this breed of flobberworms were venomous.

Jaime arrived to class five minutes late. Hagrid had just given him a warning and continued talking about flobberworms. Jaime refused to even acknowledge my existence.

The feeling was neutral.

* * *

I shifted my feet again for the hundredth time. I stood among the other Slytherins with Dad pacing in front of us all. The entire school was waiting outside in the late October chill for the two other schools that would compete in the Triwizard Tournament. But they needed to show up first.

Professor McGonagall was in full-blown stress mode. She had started stalking around the students a half hour ago, barking orders on how to look more presentable.

"Miss Clegane, take that silly ornament out of your hair this instant!" McGonagall barked at Cersei Clegane. Cersei reluctantly removed the emerald serpent from her golden locks. I smirked.

"Look!" A first year from Hufflepuff cried. Everyone followed her pointing finger and I gaped as a carriage the size of a small house was drawn from the sky by what looked like several Pegasus.

The front three rows of students drew backwards as the carriage hurtled even lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed. Then, with an almighty crash that made everybody jump back five feet, the Pegasus's hooves hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden winged horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled their fiery red eyes.

I just had enough time to that the door of the carriage bore a coat of arms (two crossed, golden wands, each emitting three stars) before it opened. A cluster of students in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage. A boy with wispy blond hair had a folded up stool in his hand, which he unfolded and placed at the foot of the door. A second later, a shiny, pointed black boot toe stepped forward.

I had only seen one person who was as large as this woman, and that was Hagrid. But this woman looked even larger than Hagrid, if that was even possible. As she stepped into the light flooding from the Entrance Hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face; large, black, liquid-looking eyes, and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.

Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe to get a better look at this woman.

The woman's face broke into a relaxed smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittery hand. Dumbledore, although tall himself, had to barely bend to kiss it.

"My dear Madam Maxime," He said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr," Madam Maxime said in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," Dumbledore said.

"My pupils," Madam Maxime said, waving behind her at the crowd of silk-clad teenagers behind her.

My focus had been taken by Beauxbatons Headmistress, but now I took the opportunity to observe her students. They, a total of a dozen boys and girls in their late teens, were shivering. I hid my amusement well; their robes appeared to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks. A few girls had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads. And from what I could see (they were standing in Madam Maxime's enormous shadow), they were staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madam Maxime asked.

"He should be here at any moment," Dumbledore said. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think," Madam Maxime said. "But ze 'orses—"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them." Dumbledore said. "The moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other—er—charges."

"My steeds require—er—forceful 'andling," Madam Maxime said, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. "Zey are very strong…"

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job." Dumbledore said, smiling.

"Very well," Madam Maxime said, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to," Dumbledore said, also bowing.

"Come," Madam Maxime said to her doubtful students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

"How big d'you reckon Durmstrang's horses are going to be?" Astoria Greengrass asked, leaning into Cersei Clegane and Jade Olivia.

"Well if they're any bigger, even Hagrid will have trouble with them." I said curtly.

"He'll have trouble with _any _creature the school lets him get his hands on." Cersei snapped at me. I glared at her from around Jaime, who had been standing silently between us.

We stood, angry and shivering, waiting for Durmstrang to arrive. Most people were gazing hopefully up at the sky. For a few minutes, the silence was broken only by Madam Maxime's huge horses snorting and stamping. But then—

"Do you hear something?" I heard Ron Weasley ask from the Gryffindor area. I glanced over there; he was standing so close to George. Fred was muttering something into Ron's ear, and George glanced my way. I offered him a small smile, which he returned, only doubled in size. Our little moment was interrupted by a muffled rumbling sound coming from deep in the darkness. It sounded as though an immense vacuum cleaner was moving along the riverbed…

"Look at the lake!" Someone yelled excitedly.

From my position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, I had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water—except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks—and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a great plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor…

What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly from the heart of the whirlpool…and then I saw the rigging…

"It's a mast!" I said to no one in particular.

Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide towards the bank. A few moments later, I heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.

People were disembarking; I could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. All of them, I noticed, seemed to be built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle…but then, as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the Entrance Hall, I saw that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort; sleek and silver, like his own hair.

"Dumbledore!" He called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied.

Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice; when he stepped into the light pouring from the Entrance Hall I saw that he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee (finishing in a small curl) did not entirely hide his rather weak chin. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.

"Dear old Hogwarts," He said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow, and I noticed that his smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd. "How good it is to be here, how good…Viktor, come along, into the warmth…you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold…"

Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. As the boy passed, I caught a glimpse of a prominent curved nose and thick black eyebrows that made him look like a bird of prey. I didn't need the wave of hisses and nudges that was going around to know that it was Viktor Krum.


	14. 14: The Goblet of Fire

I took my seat at the Slytherin table while everyone else chatted excitedly about a Quidditch celebrity at Hogwarts. The Durmstrang students had started filing in to sit at the Slytherin table with us. A Durmstrang boy with a mane of tawny hair asked if he could sit beside me, due to there being no more seats. I had nodded and made room for the lion-looking boy. Viktor Krum was being surrounded by sea of Slytherin girls who wanted his attention.

"Vat is this?" The tawny boy asked me in a hushed voice. I glanced at what he was asking; he was gazing at the ceiling, which was portraying a perfectly clear night. I looked back at him; his gold-flecked eyes were wide and he looked impressed.

"It's the ceiling," I said. "It reflects what the sky looks like outside."

The boy's thick and sandy eyebrows disappeared into his mane. "Zat is 'mazing. 'Ow is it done?"

I was at a loss for words. So I shrugged. He seemed impressed anyway. "My name is Ivan."

"I'm Calla," I said. Ivan extended his hand and I shook it, now fully aware of the glares I was getting from several nearby girls.

"Pretty name," Ivan said, releasing my hand. I felt my face flood with heat and I turned away from him to see what Dumbledore was up to.

Now that all the students were in the hall and had settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madam Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed. The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed, however, and did not resume their seats until Madam Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand side. Dumbledore remained smiling, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and—most particularly—guests." Dumbledore said, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

I heard one of the Beauxbatons girls give what was unmistakably a derisive laugh. I glared at the direction of her laugh and kept paying attention to Dumbledore.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," Dumbledore said. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

He sat down, and I saw Karkaroff lean in immediately to engage him in conversation. The plates in front of us filled up as usual. The house elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of us than I had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.

The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded than usual, even though there were barely twenty additional students there; perhaps it was because their differently colored uniforms stood out so clearly against the black of the Hogwarts robes. Now that they had removed their furs, the Durmstrang students were revealed to be wearing robes of blood red.

Hagrid sidled into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast. Ivan and several other Durmstrang students gaped at him.

"'E is 'uge." Ivan whispered to me. I nodded.

"That's Professor Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher." I told him. Ivan stared at Hagrid in wonder.

"This place is vonderfull," Ivan said. "I vish Florence was 'ere."

"Who?" I asked. Ivan paused long enough to finish chewing the steak and kidney pie that he was eating.

"Florence is my girl back 'ome," Ivan said shyly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a moving photograph of a pretty girl with thick and shiny dark brown hair. By what I could tell, her skin was pale and her dark hair framed her round face perfectly. And to further compliment her beauty, her eyebrows were thick and dark and her eyes looked like a shiny, liquid black. I handed his picture back.

"She's beautiful," I stated. Ivan beamed.

"I cannot vait to see 'er again."

I smiled at just the sheer cuteness at Ivan and his situation. He carried Florence's picture with him when they were apart. Would George do that for me, I found myself thinking. I risked a glance over at the Gryffindor table to see him watching me back. George's amber eyes were flitting suspiciously between me and Ivan. I shook my head and gave him thumbs up. George visibly relaxed.

"Do you 'ave someone?" Ivan's question made me tear my gaze from George. I noticed Jaime and Draco Malfoy paying close attention to my conversation with Ivan.

"I think I do," I said vaguely. Ivan smirked and opened his mouth to say something, but Dumbledore started his second speech.

"The moment has come," Dumbledore said, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket—"

"The vat?" Ivan asked. I shrugged and continued to pay close attention.

"—just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports." And there they were, Crouch and Bagman looking pleased to be announced in this manner. "Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madam Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

At the mention of the word "champions", the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen. Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness, for he smiled and said, "The casket then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," Dumbledore said as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "And they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the year, and they will test the champions in many different ways…their magical prowess—their daring—their powers of deduction—and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore continued. "One from each of the schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames.

Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet." Dumbledore explained. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the Entrance Hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," Dumbledore said. "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the Entrance Hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

"'E is very smart man," Ivan muttered from my side. I glanced at him questioningly. Ivan shrugged.

"Back 'ome, I once crossed an Age Line my father drew. It vent 'orribly vong."

"What happened?" I asked. Ivan turned a blotchy shade of red and shook his shaggy head.

"I'd vather not say,"

I didn't think Dumbledore would actually hurt any of his students, but even if it was a little thing, I was a little afraid to find out what Ivan went through at due to an Age Line.

I said goodbye to Ivan and headed down the Hall with the rest of my Slytherin companions. The Gryffindors were a little bit ahead of us. I was very much aware of George's tall head just a few feet in front of me. The turn came for me to separate from the Gryffindor pack. I sighed and separated from them, wishing desperately for a chance to redo the Sorting.


	15. 15: Almost

"Are you really going to try and enter the tournament?" I asked George through the gloom. The new moon wasn't giving off any light, leaving George and I in the dark of the Astronomy Tower. I could barely make out his halo of ginger hair.

"Heck yes!" George called excitedly. I squinted my eyes, trying to find him, because the faint glow of his hair had vanished. Suddenly my eyes were covered by a pair of warm hands. "Why; you don't think you could share me when I get eternal glory?"

"You are so full of it," I said, pulling his hands off my eyes. George squeezed in front of me so that his chest was just a few inches from mine. I looked up at his amber eyes daringly, something I never would've been able to do before.

"And yet you're still here," George said slyly. And before I could reply, he gave me a quick peck on the lips. I rolled my eyes and ducked out of his reach. "Why you gotta be that way, Snapey?"

"Do you know what time it is?" I asked. Without the moon to tell us the time, we were at a loss of how long we had hidden up here. George, from what I could see, frowned.

"I don't know. Do you think we should head back down?" I desperately wanted to say that we should stay up here forever, but we both knew that wasn't possible. So I said yes. George led the way back down the staircase.

We paused before making our mad dash to the magpie tapestry. A prefect was hanging around. I pointed my wand to a corridor far enough away and muttered a spell that caused a very loud bang. The prefect ran off.

"Good job," George whispered. He grabbed my hand and we ran as fast as we could to the tapestry. As usual, George did the spell and led the way into the tunnel. We were strolling down, hand-in-hand when George started talking again. "What do you think my odds are if I actually get into the tournament?"

I thought it over as we rounded another corner. "Well, you're pretty darn smart, so I don't think solving whatever they throw at you would be a problem. And you're from Gryffindor. Aren't you all supposed to be super brave or something?"

George snorted. "Of course we all are. What about you? You're a Slytherin and yet you are not a slimy, cold-hearted git now are you?" I slapped his arm playfully.

"We're not all like that," I said. George actually laughed this time.

"Name ten," George said. I shook my head.

"That's not fair! I don't think they are ten good people in Slytherin; maybe six or seven." We had reached the doorway. I gave George a kiss goodnight before stumbling through the hole. I made sure the coast was clear before running into the Slytherin Common Room. The large room was dark and quiet, except for the roaring fire.

"Where have you been?" Jaime's voice cut through the darkness like a knife. I gasped and jumped back, wheeling around to see my friend standing in front of the active fireplace. The red glow of the flames matched well with his golden locks. And through the gloom, I could easily see the glint of anger and jealousy in Jaime's emerald eyes.

"What are you doing up?" I asked defensively. Jaime started pacing angrily.

"I knew it! I knew you were meeting up with someone! I just needed to figure out whom," Jaime was ranting.

"Have you figured it out?" I asked. He had already caught me red-handed; there was really no need to continue lying about it.

Jaime threw his hands into the air. "No! I've tried a few times but I never could guess. After we had our fight at breakfast, I saw you disappeared from the crowd, and something told me that you were meeting with your lover boy. So I waited for you to come out with him, but when you did, you were alone. So I knew that he was still inside the room, so I planned on waiting for him. But the crowd was so thick, I couldn't see _anything_! And I even saw the door open and close, but some stupid Hufflepuffs were blocking the way!"

"That's why you were late to Hagrid's class," I said. Jaime continued pacing. My mind threw another question at me that needed to be addressed. "Why do you care so much, Jaime?"

Jaime stopped pacing and turned so he could face me completely. "Because I really like you, and the fact that you're sneaking off with someone guy who _isn't another Slytherin_ pisses me off!"

"So you're just ticked because he's not from Slytherin?" I asked, raising one eyebrow. Jaime snorted.

"Not only that, because _it's not me_! I wouldn't really care if it was some other Slytherin, because then I would know him and I could see you two together. But all this not knowing is killing me."

All the jealousy and frustration that Jaime had been feeling had just leaked out. I felt sorry for him, but I also felt very threatened. "Listen Jaime, I'll tell you who it is, as long as you swear not to tell _anybody_. I mean it, no one else can know."

Jaime glared at me for a second, then shook his head. "No; I don't want to know who your damned knight in shining armor is. Just leave me alone for a while. I need to think." Jaime made a move to leave.

"I'm serious Jaime," I said after him. "You can't tell anyone."

"I won't tell anyone about your secret boyfriend I swear." Jaime growled before stalking off. I stood there in the middle of the Common Room for a long time, until I fully grasped what almost happened.


	16. 16: The Champions

_We almost got caught last time. Jaime was insanely close to figuring it all out. I suggest that we wait a few weeks before meeting up again. Sorry._

I quickly scrawled this note before breakfast and ran up to the Owlery before I was noticed absent. Jaime spent the entire day glaring at me, as if expecting me to run away the first moment he turned away. By lunch it was getting annoying.

During lunch most of everyone was in the Entrance Hall, either putting their names into the Goblet of Fire or watching the process. I planned on going after eating. George was conversing with Fred quietly at the Gryffindor table.

A shadow flew down to the Gryffindor table. I watched as the large barn owl I had chosen delivered my letter to George. I couldn't use Rowling; she was too easily recognized and using her to send a letter would've been a dead giveaway. I had tried to explain this to her, but the offended owl had ignored my reasoning and flew to the highest corner of the tower.

George's face frowned as he read the note. Fred narrowed his eyes and tried to read it, but George kept shrugging him away. Then, with a tight jaw and angry eyes, George stood up suddenly and left the table. Fred looked momentarily confused before following his twin. I watched them sadly out of the corner of my eye.

"Hey Calla," Ginny called as she approached the Slytherin table. Hermione Granger was with her. "D'you want to go check out the Goblet of Fire?"

I nodded and forced the heat in my eyes back down. I was happy to leave Jaime behind at the table with his suspicious eyes and hurt gaze. At least he wouldn't have to "worry" about me hanging out with a group of girls.

The Entrance Hall was more crowded than I had ever seen it. People wearing different uniforms circled the center, where the Goblet of Fire stood on its pedestal. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

"Has anyone put their name in yet?" Ginny asked. Hermione rolled her eyes at the younger girl.

"I'm sure they have," She said in that snooty voice of hers. A pair of bright ginger heads appeared on my far right, but I forced myself to stare straight ahead. Harry and Ron joined us, chatting excitedly about the tournament.

"…I would've if it had been me…" Harry was saying. "Wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"

A terribly recognizable laugh sounded almost directly behind me. I nearly jumped out of my skin as Fred, George, and Lee Jordan padded up to our group. They looked very satisfied with themselves.

"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant voice. "Just taken it."

"Just took what?" I asked, surprised at the amount of concern in my own voice. George glanced sharply at me but said nothing.

"The Aging Potion, my dear Snapey," Fred said, nudging my chin with his knuckles. George walked forward so that he was between us.

"One drop each," He said, rubbing his hands together. "We only needed to be a few months older."

"We plan on splitting the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," Lee said confidently.

"It's not going to work," Hermione stated smugly. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."

Fred, George, and Lee ignored her. "Ready, everyone," Fred asked us, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then—I'll go first—"

I watched as Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words _Fred Weasley—Hogwarts_. Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the Entrance Hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line.

For a split second I thought it worked. George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred—but the next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound and both twins were thrown by a blast of energy. They landed painfully ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards.

The Entrance Hall rang with laughter. Even the twins joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a long look at each other's beards. I joined Lee, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny in surrounding them.

"Well, I imagined that would've gone better," Fred said between his bellows of laughter. George reached forward and stroked his brother's beard. They marched off with Lee to the Hospital Wing to get their beards removed. I found myself watching them leave with a pang in my chest.

* * *

By half past five it was growing dark, and after spending the whole day with Ginny and Luna Lovegood, we decided it was time to go to the Great Hall and get ready for the feast and announcement of the champions.

Ivan took his seat at my side, which earned him some suspicious looks from Jaime. I glared at him and rolled my eyes. Honestly, did he think I was actually meeting someone I had just met? Jaime glared at me again before shoving his face into his food.

At long last, the golden plates disappeared and Dumbledore stood. It was time to announce the school champions! Ivan straightened up from my side. Professor Karkaroff and Madam Maxime were looking as tense and expectant as everyone else. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

"Well, the goblet is ready to make its decision," Dumbledore said. "Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them to please come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through the next chamber where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the floating carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging us all into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting…A few people kept checking their watches…

The flames inside the goblet suddenly turned red. Sparks began flying from its mouth. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it—the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to bluish-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," He read. Ivan stiffened beside me. "Will be Viktor Krum!"

A storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Ivan clapped politely. Krum stood and slouched towards Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

The clapping and cheering died down as the goblet's flames turned red again. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," Dumbledore said. "Is Fleur Delacour!"

A girl got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blond hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables. I caught a glimpse of several other Beauxbatons were sobbing on each other's shoulders, all because they hadn't been chosen.

When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time the silence was so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion was next.

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," He called. "Is Cedric Diggory!"

Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to their feet, screaming and stamping as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off towards the chamber past the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on for so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real—"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was obvious to everyone why he had stopped. The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying everywhere. A long tongue of flame shot up suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another scrap of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out—

"Harry Potter,"


	17. 17: Tyrion Clegane

"How d'you think he managed it?"

"He's not even seventeen yet!"

"He's a cheat! I just want to know how he did it."

These whisperings were all that filled my ears as us Slytherins marched down into the dungeons. Up ahead, Draco Malfoy was cursing Harry up and down and getting his pants into a twist over it. Of course, Pansy Parkinson and Cersei Clegane agreed with every word out of his mouth and called Harry loads of nasty names. Normally I would've tried to stop them, but my mind was too boggled by trying to figure out how my friend got his name into the Goblet of Fire.

"Calla," I jumped up as my name sounded from Draco's lips. Pansy and Cersei looked angry. "D'you have any idea how Potter got his name in?"

I scowled at him. I knew full well that he was only being nice because he wanted the dirt on Harry. "No I don't know. Maybe if you got your head out of your own butt you would've noticed the look on Harry's face when his name was called."

Draco's face turned red momentarily. So, naturally, he lashed out. "I don't know why I thought _you'd _know why. You're far too thick to see the answer right when it's in front of your face."

Draco's remark didn't hurt as much as it used to. I figured out that it was because I was starting to really not care what he thought of me. He stormed away into the Common Room with Pansy, Cersei, Crabbe, and Goyle on his heels. Jaime glanced back at me before going after them. I was about to climb in after them when I heard a hissing noise coming from the magpie tapestry.

"Please tell me I'm hallucinating," I whispered. With a heavy stomach I padded to the tapestry only to be grabbed at by the collar and dragged into the secret door. A faint, ginger head stood in front of me. "George, you're crazy! Why are you here right now? We could get caught and—"

To shut me up George pressed his mouth against mine. My words died in my throat and I melted into him. But then I remembered where we were and pushed him away.

"George you can't be here," I said. "What if someone catches us?"

"They won't," George answered. But his voice had changed; he was as nervous as I was. "I came to say that we can't take a break. I'll go nuts."

Somewhere beyond the tapestry someone moved. I froze as this unknown person moved along the tapestry and paused. George's body was stiff against mine. Footsteps faded away.

"Fine; I see what you mean," George admitted grudgingly. "But we still need to meet up; maybe every other week." I quickly agreed and disappeared through the door. I almost ended up running into the person from earlier.

I was surprised at how much I towered over him; even for a first year, Tyrion Clegane was undersized and short. He stared up at me with wide and scared dusty blue eyes. He was so much different from Jaime and Cersei, even his hair was more of a darker gold than bright gold. We stared at each other for a moment, dusty blue meeting black and neither knowing what to do now.

"Um, hi," I said. Tyrion turned bright red and ducked his head. I think I heard him whisper something that sounded like a hello. I cleared my throat, feeling really awkward. "So you're Jaime and Cersei's brother?" I guessed.

I guessed wrong apparently because Tyrion shook his head violently. His voice went barely above whisper. "We're cousins,"

"Oh," I said. "Well that explains why you all look different. And it explains why you're more tolerable than them." This actually caused little Tyrion to laugh. Then, as suddenly as he smiled, Tyrion became sober all of a sudden.

"I'm nothing like them, you know," He stated gravely serious. "I'm nothing like them and their parents."

I had never heard about the Clegane family before, except that they were purebloods and Mr. Clegane wasn't very fond of Muggle-borns.

"What d'you mean?" I asked. Tyrion hesitated, but then told me.

"My father and their father are brothers," Tyrion began. "My Uncle Aerys never liked anyone who could threaten the family blood-line…including my mom. She's a Muggle. Not a Muggle-born, a full blooded Muggle. My little sister is a Muggle too. Uncle Aerys and Aunt Rosalie hate them…and me. That's why Jaime and Cersei won't talk to me, it's as if they think Muggle blood is contagious or something."

I was silent after Tyrion confided this to me. I remember how both Jaime and Cersei had acted so weird at the Sorting ceremony. He looked truly downtrodden. I couldn't think of anything else to say other than: "I'm sorry,"

Tyrion gave me a small smile from under his dark gold bangs. I saw that this little punk wasn't his cousins, thank God. So I walked back inside the Common Room with him at my side. Jaime looked confused and angry to see me with his little cousin.

It became clear to me then that Tyrion didn't have any friends in his own House. That makes two of us, I thought grimly. So I sat with him for the rest of that night playing wizard's chess with the kid.

The next morning I hunted down Luna with Tyrion at my side and made her go get Cameron Baker out. Cameron immediately tried to tell me everything about his new House and classes. I only managed to shut him up because I pushed Tyrion into his face. The two first years hit it off almost instantly and abandoned me to go hang out on the grounds.

I watched them leave feeling like I just did both misfits a favor. I could only hope that they would end up getting the same relationship that I had with Ginny Weasley.


	18. 18: A Dilemma

I didn't manage to see Harry until a week after his name was pulled from the Goblet of Fire. At first I tried to ask him about what it was like. But Harry grabbed me by the robes and shook me until my head felt loose.

"I didn't put my name in that cup," He kept repeating. "I don't know who did or how, but I swear _I didn't do it_!"

"Calm down!" I said over his frantic crying. "I figured that you didn't. Anyone who saw your face would know that. Anyone who thinks you really did is just kidding themselves."

"Well then Ron is way over his own head," Harry said through gritted teeth. I blinked.

"You mean, Ron actually _thinks _that you put your name in the cup?" I asked. Harry nodded. I shook my head; it had taken me the better half of two years to convince Ron that I wasn't his enemy. But the second Harry's name gets called in a life-endangering competition, he's a full believer. Weasleys, I thought; quick to anger and slow to see what's in front of their faces.

I hung out with Harry for the rest of the day. Several students I noticed had started wearing bright yellow buttons. Upon getting a closer look at them, I saw that they read, "Support Cedric Diggory—the REAL Hogwarts Champion!" I tried my best to shield them from Harry, but judging by the look on his face, he had already seen a whole lot of them.

"Like them, Potter?" Draco Malfoy asked loudly as we walked past him in the courtyard. I hissed at Harry to ignore him. Draco just hopped down from his tree and followed us. "And this isn't all they do—look!"

He pressed the button farther into his chest, and the current message vanished and was replaced by another one. Large block letters glowed lime green and spelled out: "POTTER STINKS!"

Harry's face turned red as the Slytherin crowd roared with laughter. I narrowed my eyes as I saw Jaime was a part of this group. He saw me looking and shrugged with a defiant grin on his face. I rolled my eyes at the group.

"Very funny," I said. Draco stopped laughing to glare at me. "Hilarious really; how long did it take to come up with that one, Draco? Knowing the size of your brain, it must've taken you _hours_ to come up with this one."

Draco opened his mouth to say something hurtful, but Cersei Clegane beat him to it. "Do you want one, bastard? I would hand it to you myself, but I've heard that blood-traitorness it contagious."

"Bastard?" I asked. "That's a new one; I've heard Snape, raghead, bitch, slut, and several others, but bastard is a new one."

"That's what you are." Pansy Parkinson replied. "'A child born outside marriage'; that's the official definition for it anyway. But don't worry: you're still all the above as well."

I remembered clearly the day I had whooped Pansy's ass. She had just revealed my mother's history with everyone and I, out of anger and embarrassment, had jumped her. By the edgy way she was watching my movements, I could tell she was remembering that day as well.

Suddenly, Harry reached for his wand from inside his robes. I guess that all the frustration he had been feeling for the past few days was at a boiling point. People all around us scrambled out of the way, sensing a duel about to start.

"Go on, Potter," Draco said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to protect you now—do it, if you've got the guts."

For a split second they stared into each other's eyes. Then, at the exact same moment, both of them acted.

_"Furnunculus!" _Harry shouted.

_"Densaugeo!" _Draco screamed.

Jets of light flew from both wands, and both hit different targets. Harry's hit Goyle straight in the face; Draco's hit a passing Hermione Granger. Goyle was bellowing as great, angry red boils spread across his face like little connect-the-dots. Hermione was whimpering and clutching at her mouth.

I hurled towards Hermione with Harry and a nearby Ron. Hermione shook her head and tried to get us away from her, but Ron pulled her hands away from her mouth so that we could assess the damage. It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth—already larger than average—were now growing at an alarming rate. She looked more like a beaver now as her teeth lengthened past her bottom lip and towards her chin. She let out a terrified cry.

"And what is all this noise about?" A soft and deadly voice asked.

Dad had arrived. The Slytherins clamored around to give him their explanations. Dad listened to the chaos for a moment before silencing them all and pointing at Draco. "Explain,"

"Potter attacked me, sir—"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.

"—and he hit Goyle—look—"

Dad examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been in a book about poisonous fungi.

"Hospital Wing, Goyle," Dad said calmly.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron shouted. _"Look!"_

He forced Hermione to show her teeth—she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was getting difficult as they had grown down past her collar. Pansy, Cersei, and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Dad's back.

To my surprise and rage, Dad looked coldly at Hermione and spoke with a clear and monotone voice. "I see no difference."

Hermione whimpered; her eyes filled up with tears. She stood up quickly and ran away, ran all the way out the courtyard and out of sight.

It was lucky that Harry and Ron started shouting at Dad at the same time so that he couldn't hear the foul things that were being screamed at him. He got the gist though.

Dad gave the boys detention and took away fifty points from Gryffindor. Harry and Ron were forced to leave. Finally Dad turned to me. "I must speak with you Calla. Follow me."

The rate of the injustice was ringing in my ears but I followed him anyway. Dad led me down into the dungeons and into his office. I was pacing in front of his desk when he closed the door. Once I was certain that there was no way anyone could hear me, I let out my fury.

"Hermione is my friend, you know? How could you say something like that?" It went on like this for a solid five minutes. I didn't notice how Dad was taking it and not retaliating. Only when I was out of breath was he able to say anything.

"I'm not going to talk to you about what just happened. I have something much more important to discuss with you."

"What could be more important than this?" I asked. Without speaking, Dad pulled the sleeve of his left arm up and revealed faint skull and snake markings.


	19. 19: The First Task

"How long has this been there?" I asked when I could finally summon words. Dad covered the faint markings with his sleeve. His eyes were dark with frustration and despair.

"For about a week now," He said. He sounded exhausted. For a moment I felt sorry for him. "It has been burning all day." As Dad said it he reached up and scratched at the Dark Mark. I found myself reaching for my own left arm and rubbing it.

"There's only one explanation as to why it would darken." Dad said quietly. "The Dark Lord is growing stronger; Karkaroff's mark is dark as well."

What he was saying sounded outrageous to me. The Dark Lord couldn't come back; he had been destroyed in that explosion after he tried to kill Harry. But memories of the darkness of the Chamber of Secrets came flooding into my mind and I remembered how it felt kneeling underneath the memory of Tom Riddle's shadow. _"We will meet again someday…"_ And then just last year, Wormtail had come out of hiding to return to his "master". I realized that I had absolutely no right to doubt You-Know-Who's power.

"You need to be especially careful Calla." Dad's deep voice dragged me back from my thoughts. "With the Triwizard Tournament happening, it will be easier for someone to try and cause mischief. Now leave me; I have a meeting with Karkaroff in a few minutes." Dad waved his wand and the door to his office creaked open. I was almost out when he called me back. "And Calla, tell no one of what has happened here."

I nodded and swept away.

The first task was tomorrow and, surprisingly, Harry seemed completely calm. Whenever I tried to bring up the subject of the task, he'd just wave it away. It was starting to frustrate me.

Ron was still stingy towards Harry, which added to everyone's irritation seeing as Harry did nothing to deserve it. Jaime was starting to let off of his paranoia, giving me more breathing room. And Hermione, Ginny, and I were trapped between Harry and Ron while trying to remain friends with both of them. And now there was the fact that Dad's Dark Mark was getting darker and darker with every passing day.

I was ready to rip my hair out.

Classes were cancelled to day of the first task and all three schools travelled to the Quidditch pitch to watch. Fred and George passed by Ginny and I yelling for people to take bets.

"Don't be so mean," Ginny said. Fred rolled his eyes at his little sister.

"It's not mean; just business."

I rolled my eyes and we started to walk away, but George grabbed us both by the scruff of the neck and pulled us back. "Aren't you two going to bet on who you think is going to win?" George's amber eyes glittered playfully at me.

"Not thanks boys," I laughed. "Maybe the next task!" And before they could keep us there any longer, Ginny and I made a grand escape.

"Who do you think is going to win?" I asked as we both started climbing the stairs to the seats. Ginny shrugged.

"I hope Harry wins. He needs something to boost up his confidence." Ginny said shortly. I snickered.

"You just wish that _you _could be the one to boost that confidence now don't you?" I teased. Ginny's mouth opened and closed but she never made a sound. I laughed and plopped down into a seat. Ginny had no choice but to huff and do the same.

The Quidditch pitch had been transformed into a rocky and mountain like terrain. In the center of the boulders was what looked like a straw-like nest with four stones and a golden metal sphere. Upon further examination, I realized that they were eggs.

"What exactly are they going up against?" I asked in Ginny's ear. She shook her head, her eyes wide with anticipation and fear. My question was answered when a massive and fearsome dragon entered the stadium at the far end.

"Dragons?!" Ginny exclaimed. "That's the first task? Are they trying to get everyone killed?" The dragon raised its scaly head and let out a bone-rattling roar. The sunlight on its silvery-blue scales sent rainbows glimmering off of it. And with a great flap of its wings, the beast took flight and glided with a shocking gentleness to where the nest was. A whistle sounded from somewhere and the dragon screamed. From the far end of the stadium, Cedric Diggory entered, looking very green.

"He looks like he's about to puke, doesn't he?" Ginny and I both jumped in fear as Fred's voice sounded from behind us. The twins squeezed beside us and I was pressed against George. I noticed he wasn't really trying to hide his enjoyment.

The dragon had noticed Cedric and it roared a warning. If I had been Cedric, I would've turned tail and run the other way. But he, surprisingly, charged for a boulder close to the dragon and hid behind it. The dragon sent a blast of bright blue flames in Cedric direction. I saw Cedric cover his head with his arms and crouch down low.

"Ooooh, narrow miss there, very narrow," Ludo Bagman's voice came on over the speaker. Once the dragon stopped its rain of fire on Cedric's head, I saw that he waved his wand at a nearby boulder. The boulder started shaking and morphing, its gray color turning yellow. Next thing I knew, a Labrador with yellow fur was prancing around, closer and closer to the dragon.

"He's taking risks, this one!" Bagman commented. No one was paying him much attention anyway. The Labrador raced to the dragon and away again. The dragon's head followed it like a snake being charmed. Cedric made a move for the egg…

But the dragon opened its mouth and flames erupted. The Labrador melted like stone and small flames caught on Cedric's sleeve. He had to hide behind a rock again and hurriedly pat down the flames. I could see the grimace of pure agony painted across his face. "Clever move—pity it didn't work!"

"I wish he would just shut up!" Ginny said. I nodded.

"You said it sister," George muttered. I think I was the only one who really heard him.

The dragon was swinging its head from side to side, searching for Cedric. Cedric, still behind his rock, was just ten feet away from the nest. For a moment he looked like he was just going to run for it. But thankfully he just waved his wand again and another Labrador formed out of a pile of nearby rocks. This time the dog charged at the dragon with teeth bared and fur bristling. When the Labrador turned and fled, the dragon screamed and chased after it. Cedric took his chance right away and ran for the egg. But the dragon turned around just in time to see Cedric pluck the egg from the nest.

Blinding flames leapt from the dragon's mouth and grazed the side of Cedric's face. I heard his scream but he kept running away from the beast and towards the exit.

The dragon was corralled and swept away. Another golden egg was formed in the pile of dragon eggs. Cedric was led away by Madam Pomfrey. And then Bagman announced for Fleur Delacour to come and face her dragon.

Fleur's performance with her dragon was much more boring. She looked to be trying to make it fall asleep. It worked; but the great beast let out a snore and a jet of flame snapped out and caught on Fleur's skirt. She looked frightened but managed to put it out with a jet of water from her wand. While the dragon slept on, Fleur captured her egg five minutes earlier than Cedric.

Then it was time for Viktor Krum. He definitely had an interesting idea for what he was doing. Krum put a type of curse on the dragon so that it was rendered blind. The dragon, angry and confused, crashed around the stadium, crushing half the eggs it was supposed to be protecting. But Krum ended up catching his egg anyway.

Harry was last. He entered the arena looking pale and grim, but otherwise fine. That changed when he caught a glimpse of his dragon. The dragon screamed at him and wasted no time blasting flames in his face. Harry ducked just in time and hid behind a boulder. I saw him point his wand into the air and scream something, but everyone was cheering and screaming so much that I couldn't hear.

And then out of nowhere, Harry's broom came zooming into the stadium. It paused by Harry just so he could hop on. We all watched anxiously as Harry zipped and zoomed around the dragon's head. The beast followed his every move and tried flapping its wings. Harry just kept getting higher and higher while the dragon tried to follow. Harry just got higher and higher as the dragon watched, and then he dived. The dragon predicted what Harry was doing and shot out a bolt of orange flames, but Harry flew out of the way and snatched up the egg unscathed.

I screamed along with the rest of the crowd. Ginny and I hugged each other and jumped up and down while Fred and George gave us both bear hugs. I turned red as George enclosed me in his arms, but for once, I didn't really mind who saw and who didn't.


	20. 20: Already Gone

"What do you think the second task is going to be?" I asked Ginny as we climbed the tower steps to Professor Trelawney's classroom. We were out of breath and exhausted but I was eager to hear what had been inside the golden egg.

"I'm not sure," Ginny panted. "When he opened the egg, all it did was scream bloody murder. But whatever he must face, I worry for him."

"You always do," I said once we entered Trelawney's incense filled classroom. Every time I came into this stupid class, my head instantly felt heavy and foggy. I felt like an idiot in this class.

We had moved on from tea leaves (praise Jesus) to crystal-gazing. But it now seemed to be even worse. Every time Trelawney swooped in on me to make a prediction, I made some weak jokes about having cloudy days in our future.

"I think I'm starting to get the hang of this." Luna announced brightly as she stared at the crystal ball with round eyes.

"Oh shush Luna; don't get her started." I scolded her, but it was too late. Professor Trelawney had already swooped in like a ginormous dragonfly to our table.

"What do you see, sweet child?" Trelawney asked in her dewy voice. I covered my eyes and willed myself to disappear.

"It looks like…a rodent of some kind; maybe a weasel," Luna was rambling. "No! It just transformed into a cat! Do you see it, Professor?"

"I do my dear," Trelawney whispered. The entire class was as silent as a crypt. Ginny and I exchanged a glance and rolled our eyes at this nonsense.

"I see a lion with a bright ginger mane and a heart of gold." Trelawney said dramatically. "He is roaring furiously, with heartache gleaming upon his face. Wait—he is surrounded! By snakes, of all creatures! Yes, I see a golden snake and a massive king cobra with the color of midnight on his scales. The golden serpent is circling the lion while the midnight cobra tries to strike with hatred in his dark eyes. The lion remains defiant. Now there's another snake; another midnight snake. This one is smaller than the first and not as dark, for it too has a heart of gold. The lion's heart is glowing, for he has spotted the gold-and-black cobra. What? The gold-and-black cobra had just struck the lion's golden heart! The lion's heart is shattered. It looks like the gold-and-black serpent has faded to nothing more than a shadow. The lion flees, turning his back on the snakes."

She saw all of that in that crystal ball? All I saw was a swirling abyss of fog. I wanted to dismiss Trelawney and all of her stories of snakes and lions. But something kept flinching in my stomach, telling me that I haven't heard the last of the lion and the serpents.

* * *

"The _what _is approaching?" Colin Creevey asked in a shrill voice during Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes at him.

"If you had been paying attention like everyone else instead of doodling pictures of owls in your notes, Mr. Creevey, you would have heard me say that the Yule Ball is approaching."

"The Yule Ball is a dance, right?" Cersei Clegane asked. McGonagall nodded at her.

"Correct, Miss Clegane. The Yule Ball is a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now the ball will be open only to fourth years and above—although younger students are allowed to be formally invited—"

Cersei and Astoria Greengrass giggled shrilly. Ginny and I exchanged an annoyed glance. But deep in my stomach I felt the butterflies that I'm sure all girls, no matter what age, felt when it came to dances and occasions that required dates.

Professor McGonagall ignored the giggles and continued. "Dress robes shall be worn and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then—"

Professor McGonagall stared deliberately around the classroom. "The Yule Ball is a chance for us all to—er—let our hair down," She said this in a disapproving voice.

Cersei and Astoria giggled even more loudly this time. I could now see why: McGonagall, with her hair in a tight bun, looked as though she had never let her hair down in any sense.

"But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall went on, "That we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Hogwarts student embarrasses the school in any way."

The bell rang and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed up their things and left the class. But now everyone was whispering and giggling about the Yule Ball. I overheard Cersei telling Astoria how she planned to get Draco to ask her to the ball.

"Do you think you'll be able to go?" Ginny asked. I shrugged, imagining George and I being together at the ball. But I could never tell Ginny that.

"That all depends on whether or not I get asked," I said. "Knowing you, I know exactly who you'd want to go with." Ginny turned scarlet and started sputtering to defend herself.

"Well, if he asked I wouldn't say no!" She said so loudly that people turned to glance our way. Ginny turned redder and dropped her voice to normal volume. "Besides, I don't think he'll ask me anyway; I'm still the hopeless first year who sent him a singing Valentine via dwarf."

"I had almost forgotten about that." I laughed. "Who knows? Maybe he'll finally see what's right in front of him."

"If he does ask me, I want you to go with your Bulgarian friend." Ginny said. I sputtered and stared at her.

"Ivan? But we're just friends!"

"So? I don't think you have to be a couple to go. If he does ask you, you won't say no, will you?"

I thought it over. Even if George asked me to the ball, I doubted we'd be able to go together. Jaime was still hard on my case and going with George would be a dead giveaway. "Only if he asks me,"

Ginny smiled and marched off to Defense Against the Dark Arts. I sighed and started thinking of ways to tell George about the news.


	21. 21: The Unexpected Task

He didn't like it. Just as I had expected, when I met George in the Astronomy Tower that night, he wasted no time asking me to the Yule Ball. It had taken the good part of fifteen minutes but eventually he agreed to go with someone else: but with one exception.

"If someone asks you, I get the final say so," George said defiantly. I gaped at him.

"Are you serious?" I asked. George nodded.

"If someone just so happens to ask you they must have my approval before you say yes."

"By that logic I wouldn't be able to go even if someone asked." I said haughtily. George laughed merrily and leapt on top of the rail on the window. I jumped forward frightfully as he titter-tottered in a battle between gravity and his balance for a moment, but then as gracefully as a cat, he hopped back down to stand proudly by my side.

"It's either agree to that or nothing!" George sang badly. I covered my ears and made a fake pained expression on my face. George stuck out his tongue playfully and pranced back into the shadows of the tower.

"Let's say I agree to those terms, but only if I have a say of whom _you _go with." I retaliated. George stopped his victory dance to stare at me with an open mouth.

"Who says I'm even going?" He asked quickly. "I don't really want to go if you're not my date and since we can't really do that…" He shrugged. I wriggled my eyebrows playfully at him.

"You can't just not go! Unless the Ministry decides to make the Triwizard Tournament a full time thing, no one will be able to go after this."

George tapped his chin and pretended to think about it. "D'I really _have _to?" He whined. I rolled my eyes and nodded largely. George heaved a sigh and collapsed on the dusty floor. "Okay then, Mommy."

"Good," I smiled brightly. "Now judging by the position of the moon right now, it's about three o- clock in the morning. Let's go ahead and head down."

"You must be passing Astronomy with flying colors, Snapey."

* * *

I thought that after facing a dragon, Harry would be able to get a date would be a synch. But I ended up coming right up to him in the middle of a conversation with Ron about how to get girls.

"Why do you all travel in packs?" Harry asked me once he spotted me. Ron was staring at a group of nearby girls who were sniggering and staring at Harry from behind their hands. "How're you supposed to get one of their own to ask them?"

"Lasso one?" Ron suggested, still staring at the girls. "Any advice Calla?"

"Ron Weasley asking Calla Snape for advice?" I asked, feigning surprise. "I never thought this day would come! Oh, happy day!" Ron glared at me as I laughed.

"Well, who would you guys _like_ to ask? It may depend on the girl." I offered wisely. Harry turned bright red before telling me about some girl named Cho Chang. Ginny wasn't going to be happy.

"I'd like to go with the Beauxbatons champion," Ron said. A group of Beauxbatons girls walked by at that precise moment, and Ron and Harry both watched the group depart with their eyes on the females' rear ends.

I shook my head. "Boys," I walked away as they begged for me to return, but I ignored them. It was time to find a proper date for George.

* * *

Ginny and I were in the library when it happened. Hermione was there, but instead of sitting at her usual spot, she was sitting with Viktor Krum.

"What do you think that's about?" Ginny asked. I couldn't help but stare at the two and shrug.

"Dunno, she could be helping him out with homework or something."

"Do the other champions' schools have to continue doing work?" Ginny asked. This question made me frown and think for a moment.

"I would think so; they're all pretty much in their final year of school. It doesn't make much sense for them to slack off on their work."

Hermione interrupted our conversation by plopping down beside Ginny. She had a dreamy gaze on her face and looked like she had just been hit in the head by a Bludger.

"What happened to you?" I asked. Hermione batted her eyes at me and said something so low that I couldn't really hear her words. "I couldn't hear you. What did you say?"

"Viktor just asked me to the Yule Ball." Hermione said louder this time. Ginny and I stared at her for a long time before speaking.

"What did you say?" Ginny pressed. I felt like a stereotypical teenage girl but I didn't care. Hermione smiled widely and nodded. I had to contain my squeals of delight for her victory over Viktor.

"Has anyone asked you girls yet?" Hermione asked after we all composed ourselves again. Ginny and I shook our heads. Hermione smiled in my direction. "Well Calla, when I was talking to Viktor back there, he told me to tell you that his friend Ivan wants to ask you. Just as friends I'm sure."

Sure enough, that night at dinner, Ivan asked me if I wanted to go to the Yule Ball with him as a friend. After confirming loudly that it would be just as friends, I glanced over Ivan's shoulder to where George was standing nearby. George jerked his head stiffly, indicating his approval. And then I told Ivan yes. Jaime looked kind of angry but didn't bring it up, considering we were going as only friends.

Three days after I agreed to Ivan, I found the perfect date for George. There was a prefect from Hufflepuff who was in her sixth year with George, was very shy and, according to the rumors didn't expect anyone to want to go with her to the ball. She was pretty enough; with soft light brown curls and big blue eyes. Apparently she had perfect grades and was expected to go into the Ministry once she graduated.

I reported my findings to George and he agreed, though not quietly. He still didn't want to go with anyone other than me. But he journeyed to the Hufflepuff table anyway the next morning and asked the girl there and then. As I watched she turned dark red but nodded shyly anyway. George must've noticed how uncomfortable he made her because he offered to hug her afterwards. The poor girl didn't get the chance to accept before George hugged her lightly around the shoulders. Some nearby girls "awed" while George's date turned even redder.


	22. 22: Preparations

I spent the first half of Christmas holidays slaving away in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom over a hot cauldron. Myrtle hadn't been very happy so see me. "So _you're _back then? You got more acne now."

I self-consciously raised my hand to my slightly pimpled temple. "Nice to see you again too, Myrtle; I suppose life in your toilet is going fine."

"It is thank you very much." Myrtle snapped. "What're you doing back here again anyway? Trying to back into trouble?"

"My trouble-making days are over, Myrtle," I said calmly without really looking at her. "I'm here working on a hair-styling potion."

"For the _Yule Ball_? Well, I hope you have a wonderful evening!" And with that said, she sobbed suddenly and crashed into her toilet. I covered the potion protectively and scowled at where she disappeared to.

The potion I was working on was actually for Hermione. With her unmanageable hair, taming it for the ball would be a hassle. So I was brewing a slickening potion that would cause her hair to be silky and pretty. The night of the ball Hermione, Ginny, and I would meet here in the bathroom and get ready in here. Hermione had actually dealt with the dresses; writing to her mother to send three of her old dresses. The dresses arrived two days before the actual ball and we all vowed to not see them before it was time.

Ginny entered the bathroom at that moment and glanced around nervously. After coming through here to get to the Chamber of Secrets, I imagined that this place was still nerve-wracking to see.

"Is the potion almost ready?" Ginny asked. I looked up from the thick paste to respond.

"Almost, it just needs to be stirred for another ten minutes." Ginny nodded and dropped the large white box in her hands on the floor. "Are those the dresses?"

"Yep; I just want to see what my dress _looks_ like," Ginny said. I grinned smugly.

"I'm sure Neville will like you in whatever dress you wear." Neville had asked Ginny to the ball a few weeks before after Hermione turned him down gently. Ginny turned red and stuck her tongue out at me. She looked too much like George: I had to look away from her back to the thick potion.

"When's Hermione getting here?" I asked. I was desperate to get off of this topic with George on my mind.

"I'm right here." Hermione's voice answered from the doorway. She looked rather flustered. I narrowed my eyes.

"What happened to you?"

"Ron won't leave me alone," Hermione sighed. "He wants to know who I'm going to the ball with."

"Why haven't you told him?" I asked.

"Because he tried asking me just because everyone else was taken," Hermione huffed. Then her eyes caught sight of the potion beside me. "Is that what you're putting in my hair?"

"In just about ten more minutes," I turned around again to stir the concoction some more. "We might want to go ahead and check out dresses first."

We crowded around the white box and at first no one made a move to open it. Then Ginny did us all a favor and ripped the lid off.

The dress on top was clearly Hermione's judging by her height. It was a beautiful dress that was the color of pink seashells and light purple. Her dress was ruffled and looked like the kind of dress Muggle girls would wear to "prom". Hermione lifted the dress out of the bow as if it was an extremely fragile thing; something that would shatter if it touched the ground. Her name was written on a small scrap of paper and pinned to the front.

Ginny's dress was next, due to the fact that name was on it. Ginny' dress was springtime green and light pink. It reminded me more of the kind of dress that you would wear to a Muggle school formal, as they're called. It wasn't as grown-up as Hermione's but wasn't too little-girly. Then it was time for my dress.

My dress was definitely the puffiest. It was cropped tightly at my waist then puffed out into what looked like the stereotypical Cinderella dress. Small clear beads on the chest made the light dance around it. The color of the dress was the same color that you would see in the sky on cloudless, sunny days. I barely heard it when Hermione told me how my black hair would match wonderfully with it.

Ginny left around that time to go get us some snacks from the Great Hall to nibble on while we got ready and I started on Hermione's hair. The directions clearly said to just start applying the thick, scrub-like potion to her hair. So I scooped out a handful before slapping it into her bushy locks. The potion was grainy and smelled like citrus but did its job of sleeking Hermione's hair. By the time Ginny returned, I already had Hermione's hair in an elegant bun with a few spirals escaping. I had to have Ginny's help pinning it up, just to make sure that nothing fell out.

With Hermione's hair situation out of the way, she helped Ginny and I get our hair done. Ginny just wanted her hair put half-up and straightened, so that's what Hermione did. But when I said how I wanted my hair simply brushed and braided, Hermione and Ginny both started on a rant saying how I needed my hair to look better than that. So I agreed to let Hermione turn my usual scruffy locks into gleaming curls.

After that Hermione did everyone's make-up. Ginny was clueless when it came to it, I guess from living with so many brothers. My excuse was that I just never had anyone to teach me how to do it. But Hermione said that her mom had taught her in the beginning of her third year because it was "high time she got herself a man". Finally, after all the hair and make-up was over and done with, we slipped into our dresses. Myrtle returned only to tell us how pretty we looked. And then we left the safety of our bathroom to the judging stares of everyone in the school.

We had to go down the steps of the main corridor to reach to Great Hall. But before we could even reach the main hall, we had to duck from an owl swooping around the corridors. I easily recognized Rowling.

"What are you doing you crazy bird?" I scolded as she flew back to me. I stuck out my arm so that she could perch.

"There's something on her leg, Calla." Hermione said. I glanced at Rowling and sure enough, there was a thin white package on it. Ginny helped untie it and took Rowling from me as I opened the package up. I gasped.

Inside was the most beautiful necklace I'd ever seen. A silver and gold _C _rested on a silver chain. There was a note attached to the chain. I carefully shielded it from the other girls and read the familiar scrawl.

_Remember me. _

George was an idiot if he thought I possibly could. I reached behind my head and secured the miniscule latch. The _C _rested lightly on my chest.

"Who's it from?" Hermione asked. I blushed and turned back to the girls.

"It didn't say: it was anonymous." Both girls gave me looks that told me that they didn't believe me, but neither pushed it. Rowling took off out the nearest window and into the snowy night.


	23. 23: The Yule Ball

Ginny found Neville close to the main corridor. He gaped and stared at all of us with his eyes perfectly round and his mouth hitting the ground. I teased him saying that you would've thought it was his first time seeing a girl. Neville had blushed greatly and composed himself a tad before escorting Ginny away to the Great Hall.

The couples from different schools were meeting in the Entrance Hall, so that's where Hermione and I went to wait for Krum and Ivan. We didn't wait long until the Durmstrang boys entered the hall wearing their fancy blood-red cloaks. Ivan found me quickly and waved at me from across the hall.

"You 'ook vonderfull, Call-ha," Ivan said as I approached. To further emphasis his point he bowed deeply, his tawny hair pulled back into a low ponytail. I made a pathetic excuse for a curtsy and we laughed at the awkwardness granted us by the stiff attire we were wearing. I hesitated before taking Ivan's arm when he offered it. But for my credit, he seemed just as stiff and formal. I assumed that he was thinking of Florence back in Bulgaria.

We strolled together into the main hall before the Great Hall where the champions were lining up with their dates. I spotted Harry and some Indian girl named Parvati Patil. She only knew from Dad and some japes made by older Gryffindor students. So when I walked down the stairs with Ivan at my side, she dropped her jaw and nudged Harry in the arm so that he could see too.

Harry abandoned his spot in the champion line to say hello. Parvati looked a little lost now that she was alone, so she followed his lead.

"You look awesome, Calla." Harry said with his eyes wide, as if he never expected such a thing to happen. Parvati immediately repeated Harry while eyeing my dress enviously.

"Thanks Harry," I said politely. "Where's Ron at? Did he find a date in time?"

"He's going with Padma, Parvati's sister." Harry told me. Parvati was staring at me as if expecting me to say something else, so I kept my mouth shut and Ivan and I left the two of them to get back in line.

"They don't seem to 'ike one another that much," Ivan commented. I shrugged.

"I think Harry's only going with her because everyone else was taken," I admitted. Ivan snorted and shook his head. We found a corner of the hall to stand in as we waited for the actual ball to start.

"So, Call-ha," Ivan began in his thick accent. "I remember you 'aying that you 'ad someone. Is that still true?"

At first I had no idea what he was talking about. Then I remembered back when we first met, Ivan had told me about his girlfriend and had asked if I "had someone" and I had replied vaguely that I thought so. But it still took a minute to compose my thoughts.

"I think I do have somebody," I started. How could I explain this to him so that he could understand? "But it's complicated. My dad would never approve."

"Vy not?"

"Mainly because he always has to disapprove of everything I do." I said blankly. "Who I choose to spend time with would have to be deemed appropriate by him. That's why right now we're on the down low." I turned to look at Ivan in the face. "No one can know, Ivan. I'm serious."

Ivan was silent for a moment before speaking. "If someone is going to know, it von't be from me. I too know what it is like to have a father disapprove of my chosen." His voice faded away with sadness.

Did he mean Florence? But he always seemed so happy whenever he spoke of her. Or was it someone else?

A sudden eruption of applause interrupted my thoughts. I watched as the champions and their dates led the way into the center of the Great Hall. Harry looked nervous while Parvati waved at the crowd, looking very pleased to be the center of attention. I rolled my eyes at her while cheering for the other champions.

For the first few measures of music it was only the champions and their dates dancing alone. Then when McGonagall gave the signal, everyone else was supposed to join in. But no one moved at first. McGonagall started giving us the entire hall the stink eye when Ivan nudged my arm and nodded to the dance floor. I widened my eyes at what he was suggesting, but another part was thinking, "What the hell," And so, arm in arm with Ivan, I marched out on to the dance floor and we started waltzing around in circles, not really aware of what our feet were doing.

After Ivan and I started dancing, everyone else seemed to follow suit. I caught sight of Draco and Pansy Parkinson dancing together a few feet away. Ron was holding his date at arm's length and peering around for Hermione and Krum. Fred and Angelina Johnson were dancing stiffly just a couple of people away from Ivan and me. Fred smiled widely at me and wriggled his eyebrows at Ivan. It reminded me of George. Where was he?

I finally found him dancing with his date at the edge of the crowd. George was smiling, but even from this far away, I could tell it was forced. The girl on the other hand looked to be having the time of her life. I started steering Ivan in their direction.

The formal dance gave way into a pop song. Everyone started doing their own spasm-like excuse for dancing. George's date was trying to get him farther into the crowd but he was holding firm. Then he caught my eye and started our way. His date looked confused and hurt for a moment, but followed anyway.

"So how's the ball treating you two?" George asked with fake politeness dripping from his voice. Ivan blinked and smiled ignorantly.

"It is treating us vell, dank you," Ivan said equally. George narrowed his eyes at Ivan, as if trying to figure out if he was making fun of him or not. I quickly looked for a reason to change the subject.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly to George's date. "I didn't get your name." Her perfectly round sky blue eyes got even wider, if that was even possible.

"My name is Margery; Margery Mildenhall. I'm from Hufflepuff, that's probably why we've never met." Her voice just seemed to be dripping innocence.

"Must be," I said hastily. "I'm Calla Snape."

"I know," Margery said with a small smile. "Even in Hufflepuff, we know of Professor Snape's famous daughter."

I realized I had never actually given any thought to what other Houses thought of me. I didn't imagine myself a problem for any House other than Slytherin and Gryffindor. But according to Margery everyone in the school knew of me.

"Interesting," I muttered. Margery giggled and side-stepped closer to George. I _really _didn't like the way she was clinging to his arm and the way she kept glancing up at him like that. Just by watching them together, it made my heart feel as if someone had wrapped their hand around it and was squeezing.

The fast paced song slowed to a ballad. Margery glanced up at George, as if waiting for him to make his move. But Ivan got there first.

"Vould you like to dance, Mar-gar-ie?" Ivan asked Margery, bowing slightly as he did so. Margery looked slightly surprised and gave George a fleeting look. George realized what she was doing.

"Yeah go on," He said in a low voice. Ivan offered Margery his arm and she reluctantly took it. I watched in relief as Ivan led Margery into the heart of all the dancing, leaving me alone with George.

"Miss Snapey," George began in a low and overly noble-like way. "Would you care for this dance?"

I laughed and, without thinking of any further consequences, took his hand and allowed myself to be led onto the dance floor. George bowed lowly before we actually started dancing together, causing me to laugh loudly. He pulled me in close and we just started circling around each other's feet.

"I see you wore the necklace," George whispered in my ear. I turned red and failed at hiding my joyous grin.

"It's beautiful," I said. We didn't speak for a while. The ballad the band was playing was a distant hum in my ears.

Then George broke the peaceful moment. "So what's with your date anyway? No one, no matter where they came from, could _not _like you, especially with you looking this awesome."

I blushed even more and laughed. "He's got a girl back home. We're just friends. Now what's with _your_ date?"

George rolled his eyes. "She's very clingy."

I snorted. "That's the understatement of the year. She's been all over you since the ball started!"

"Are you jealous?" George asked, laughing. I rolled my eyes at his immaturity.

"No; I'm just saying."

He sniggered as I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned from George's warm smile to Margery's narrowed and angry blue eyes. My hands immediately dropped away from George's shoulders.

"Can I cut in?" Margery asked in a sickly sweet voice that practically screamed "back off". I had no choice but back away from George and edge away. Margery took my place with a wide, white smile at George.

Ivan was standing at the edge of the crowd, watching the whole scene happen through sad eyes. "I tried to keep 'er avay for as long as I could."

"Thank you, Ivan," I said, feeling a sharp sting in my chest. "Do you want to go get some food?" Ivan nodded.

"Is 'e the one?" Ivan asked politely, almost as if he was asking about the weather. I didn't see any point in denying it to him, especially after he had just seen everything. So I nodded without saying anything. Ivan nodded again, more sadly this time.

"I figured after I saw the vay you looked at 'im. And the vay 'e looked at you."

"You're going to keep you're promise right?" I asked nervously. Ivan met my eyes solemnly.

"I've 'ad my 'eart broken before. I do not vish it on anyone else. Your secret vill not pass my lips."

I stepped on my tip-toes and gave Ivan a peck on the jaw, because I was too short to reach any further. "Thank you, Ivan."

"You are velcome, Cal-ha."


	24. 24: Hogsmeade

The Hogsmeade visit was approaching, now that all of the students had returned. Cameron had bowled me over one day in the corridors to show me everything he got for Christmas. But, of course, he didn't have any of it with him. So I allowed him to lead me up to the Ravenclaw tower. Cameron also tried to make me come inside but I assured him that I'd wait for him outside. Cameron was too excited to continue arguing so he rushed inside to grab his things.

When he came out, I couldn't help but notice that Cameron didn't have that many things. From knowing him at Spinner's End, Cameron's family had all adored him and always showered him with gifts on Christmas and birthdays. But now all he carried out of the Ravenclaw tower was a new book series from his grandmother and a mug from somewhere called Disney World on it from his brother. When I asked what Disney World was Cameron went into a very excited explanation about the movies and characters and (he was really excited about this part) how it was in America of all places. Apparently his parents and brother went there while he was away.

But surprisingly enough, this fact didn't dampen Cameron's cheeriness. I envied him for that quality.

So that's how I decided to go to Hogsmeade to buy Cameron a proper Christmas gift. I'd probably get him a Zonko's present or maybe some candy. Though Lord knew that the last thing that over-energetic child needed was sugar.

I bundled in as coat and Slytherin scarf and started down the trail to Hogsmeade with several other Hogwarts students. I had tried waiting for Ginny to get up from the Gryffindor Common Room, but she was taking far too long at waking up. So I headed out into the cold alone.

Snow was falling lightly and slowly as I struggled to keep my footing on the iced over trail. Sometime around the beginning of the trek, some girl in front of me had slipped and landed hard on her rump. Now I was stepping extremely carefully on the ice.

"Calla!"

I turned around so suddenly I almost toppled over. But thankfully a pair of arms reached out and helped me keep my balance. I looked up to see the face of my savior when I saw a halo of bright ginger hair.

I jumped back only to discover that it was Ron, not his older brother. Behind him Harry and Hermione looked alarmed. I tucked my scarf closer to my face to try and hide the blush that was creeping up my neck.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked. Her hair was bushy again underneath her beanie. She had said after the ball that she loved the effect it had on her hair, but that putting all that gunk in her hair every day would be a severe hassle. And thus: bushy hair.

"I'm fine," I said quickly. Harry then started leading the way to the village with Hermione and me in the back. It didn't take me long to notice Harry scanning the street for something, but as far as I could tell, he hadn't found it yet. "What're you looking for?"

"Hagrid," Harry answered curtly. There was no need for further explanation.

Earlier in the week an article had come out about Hagrid. A woman named Rita Skeeter had written it, and with her words, she had exposed Hagrid's true parentage. She revealed to the world that Hagrid was half-giant on his mother's side. Now no one had seen Hagrid since. Of course Draco Malfoy was having the time of his life laughing and mocking Hagrid about it every time he opened his mouth. I had avenged Hagrid in a small way; using a new jinx that filled Draco's mouth with soapy bubbles every time he tried to speak.

We didn't find Hagrid on the main road of Hogsmeade. And when we entered the Three Broomsticks, foolish enough to believe he might've been there. The pub was as crowded as ever, but one quick look around at all the tables told us that Hagrid wasn't there. Harry sighed and led the way to the bar and ordered everyone a butterbeer from Madam Rosmerta, the barkeep.

Suddenly, Hermione groaned. "Doesn't he _ever_ go into the office? Look!" She pointed into the mirror behind the bar, and we all spotted Ludo Bagman reflected there, sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins. Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and were looking rather menacing.

That's rather odd, I thought with narrowed eyes. Why was Bagman here when there wasn't a Triwizard event, and therefore no judging to be done. I watched Bagman in the mirror. He was looking quite strained. But just then Bagman glanced up and saw Harry, and stood up.

I groaned along with Harry as Bagman rushed his way towards us. As he started baffling Harry with aimless conversation, I raised my mug of butterbeer to my lips and took a long, deep, drink.

"I'd say! You might want to slow down there, young lady! Butterbeer goes straight to the head if consumed quickly" Bagman said to me brightly. He thumped my shoulders hard, causing me to choke and spit up a mouthful of butterbeer. Bagman made a disgusted face, wiped his hand against his robes, and continued with Harry as if he had never nearly made me drown in my own drink.

Madam Rosmerta scowled at Bagman while wiping up the mess I had made. Then she refilled my butterbeer free of charge. Meanwhile, Bagman dragged Harry away to a table farther away. I shook my head and felt dreadfully sorry for poor Harry.

"What're we going to do about that Skeeter woman?" Hermione asked feverishly out of nowhere. I raised my eyebrows at her.

"That came out of nowhere," Ron remarked. "Why do you ask now?"

"Because she just walked in," Hermione scowled. She pointed to the entrance and sure enough, there she was glamorous outfit and all. She was wearing banana-yellow robes today; her long nails painted shocking pink, and she was accompanied by her paunchy photographer. She bought drinks, and she and the photographer made their way through the crowd to a table nearby. She was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something. Harry rejoined us and didn't have to ask what we were all glowering at.

"…didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights…what nonsense…he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? 'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman…' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo—we just need to find a story to fit it…"

"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" Harry asked loudly.

A few people looked around. Rita Skeeter's eyes widened behind her jeweled spectacles as she saw who had spoken. "Harry!" She exclaimed, beaming. "How lovely! Why don't you come and join—"

"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," Harry said furiously. "What did you do that to Hagrid for?"

Rita raised her heavily penciled eyebrows. "Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my—"

"Who cares if he's half-giant?" Harry shouted suddenly. "There's nothing wrong with him!"

The whole pub had gone very quiet. Madam Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar, apparently oblivious to the fact that the flagon she was filling with mead was overflowing.

Skeeter's smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once; she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag, pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill, and said, "How giving me an interview about the Hagrid _you _know, Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?"

Hermione and I stood up at the same time. Hermione butterbeer was clutched in her hand like a grenade.

"You horrible woman," Hermione said through gritted teeth. "You don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, won't they?"

"Sit down you silly girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand," Rita Skeeter said coldly. Her eyes hardened as they fell on Hermione. "I know things that would make your hair curl…_not _that it needs it." She added, eyeing Hermione's bushy hair.

"Let's go," Hermione said. "C'mon, Harry—Ron—Calla…"

We left; many people staring at us as we went. I glanced back as we reached the door. Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill was out; it was zooming backward and forward over a piece of parchment on the table.


	25. 25: If They Knew

The days faded into weeks such as when day fades into night. Weeks melted into months and it wouldn't be long until the second task would be upon us all. Unfortunately, with the damp and icy-cold weather, came aches and cramps in my right knee.

I had been told that my knee had shattered, and Madam Pomfrey confirmed my worries when she said that the cold was seeping into the joints of my knee. Nothing could really be done; I would just have to suffer through it until the weather got warmer.

The pain in my leg was now so consistent that I had taken to walking with a limp. The feeling of burning in my knee never left it, and my pain seemed to be the new item of amusement in the Slytherin Common Room.

"Whatever happened to your leg, bastard?" Pansy Parkinson shrieked from across the Common Room. Despite the growing frustration and anger growing inside me from my messed up knee, I forced myself to turn the other cheek and continue on my way to the dormitory. Pansy must've sensed my temporary defeat because she leapt up from her chair and started following me.

"That's right, bastard! Tuck your tail between your legs…God knows what else has been there!"

I froze. What did she just say? I shuffled around to face her. Pansy just threw back her head and cackled.

"No; please don't turn around! This side of you is even uglier! That guy of yours must be blind as well as stupid to actually _want _you!" Pansy was huffing with laughter. Behind her Cersei, Crabbe, and Goyle were breathless with mirth. Draco was laughing slightly too, though his eyes were narrowed. Jaime wasn't moving at all; his face had transformed into a white mask.

"I've gotta know, Snape: how exactly _did_ you get a man? I assume a meat hook was used, but I could be wrong." Pansy looked jubilant while my insides felt like ice.

I ignored the throbbing in my knee as I stumbled up to Pansy. Her back was turned to gloat to her friends about how she had me. The second she turned around was the exact moment I threw a punch. All of my strength had gone into it, causing me to stumble, causing my knee to ache even more than it already did.

_"You little bitch!" _Pansy's scream came out like a banshee's cry. She flung herself at me while I was still unbalanced from the punch. I was easily knocked to the ground as she slapped my face over and over again. I raised my left leg, my stronger one, and kicked her as hard as I could in her stomach. Pansy was lifted off me and I was dragged to my feet by someone behind me. Pansy's lip was split and a bruise was already starting to form under her eye. I suppose I looked worse, but I couldn't feel any blood, so I assumed I was okay.

I had expected Jaime to be the one who helped me to my feet, but he was still on the couch; his face still pale and terrified. I glanced nervously behind me to see Draco Malfoy standing just at my shoulder. Pansy's eyes filled with tears and, sobbing, she ran away to the dormitories. Cersei shot me one last glare before chasing after her. Crabbe and Goyle looked at a loss for what to do without Draco telling them anything. I limped around to Draco. His light gray eyes looked dazed, as if he wasn't even completely sure why he had helped me.

"Why did you do that?" I asked. Draco blinked at me.

"I felt like I had too,"

Draco retreated then to go boss Crabbe and Goyle around, leaving me with Jaime. He opened his mouth and then closed it again. I just stared at him and waited for him to start explaining.

"Calla, I'm so sorry," Jaime started. "I didn't mean anything by it…it just slipped out…"

"Shut up, Jaime," I spoke with a surprising amount of calm in my voice. I felt numb, even though I had just been betrayed by someone who I had once considered a friend.

Jaime's emerald eyes widened. "B-But Calla, I'm sorry!"

"No you're not. We're not friends, Jaime. Just don't talk to me anymore." I left him there.


	26. 26: The Second Task

It seemed like every single student was already up and ready for the second task by the time I was ready for breakfast. As I approached the Slytherin table, I was vaguely pleased to see that Jaime was looking miserable and wiped out. I also noticed that Draco was sitting far from him. Crabbe and Goyle had been placed between the two boys who had once been semi-friends. Cersei, Pansy, Millicent, Jade, and Astoria sat across from them.

I drew closer just to grab a few banana-nut muffins and noticed the black eye forming under Pansy's left eye. When she met my eyes with pure hatred, I smirked.

"Snapey!" I turned my head to the familiar call and saw that Fred and George were waving me over to the Gryffindor table. With one last satisfied smirk I left the angry and humiliated group of Slytherins with my breakfast in hand.

I opened my mouth to greet the twins but it was cut off by George slapping my breakfast out of my hands. I stared at him with confusion. "What was that for?"

"That's Slytherin food," George said nonchalantly, as if that would clear it all up. His amber eyes were gleaming. "Here," He turned around to the Gryffindor table and plucked a few banana-nut muffins from the top of the basket before handing them over to me. "We don't need you eating the tainted food of evil Slytherins."

"Have you forgotten that _I _am a Slytherin?" I asked before taking a bite out of a muffin. George smirked along with his twin.

"We simply overlook that fact, Snapey." Fred said happily. "You're nothing like those slimy gits over there, with their icy hearts and soulless expressions." I rolled my eyes at them and glanced past them to see Ginny waving at me. As I got closer to them I felt the intensity of George's gaze against my back.

"So how's your morning been?" I asked politely. I munched on a muffin while Ginny gave her watch an exasperated glance.

"It's been fine but Harry needs to hurry up and get down here before it's time for the task. Otherwise, he'll miss breakfast and won't be able to complete his task well enough." Ginny paused in her great breath to crane her neck at the doors. When Harry didn't miraculously show up, she sighed and whipped out a new issue of the _Daily Prophet_.

"Did you get a subscription?" I asked. Fred weaved around me to take a seat. George walked up to my side and stood incredibly close. It took all my willpower to not lean into him.

"Yes," Ginny answered without looking up. "I'm tired of learning everything from the Slytherins." She glanced sharply over my shoulder to where I knew the rest of my House was. I ignored the look and found myself looking over towards the doors for the familiar figure of Harry.

"I wish he'd hurry up," Ginny said quietly. She checked her watch again and kept watch over the entrance to the Great Hall. Fred huffed loudly from his seat.

"Leave him be," Fred said. "He'll show up; it's not like he'll be able to sleep the task away." I exchanged a glance with George. Would they really send someone to go get Harry if he didn't show up for the task? Somehow, I doubted it.

People started flowing out of the Great Hall to head out to the lake, where the second task was being held. I walked with Ginny, Fred, and George. I even went as far as to walk directly beside George; though I couldn't help but notice the small grin he had on his face.

As we started carefully down the steep slope slippery with dew, I noticed that Ron and Hermione weren't anywhere to be seen. I wasn't the only one who noticed either; Ginny looked confused and glanced around her every few seconds. That or she was still looking for Harry.

"Does anyone know where Ron and Hermione are?" Ginny asked. Fred and George finally noticed their absence and glanced around as well. Fred shrugged.

"Maybe Ronald is helping Granger with her books or something."

"They could be with Harry," George said. "That could be why we haven't seen any of them." I nodded. Then a strange and absolutely weird thought entered my mind; I ended up snorting with mirth. My companions glanced at me with odd looks.

"What's so funny Snapey?" George asked, his eyebrows hiked up his brow.

"The thought of Ron and Hermione as a couple," I answered with another huff of laughter. Ginny laughed along with me but Fred and George just looked confused.

"That's a rather odd thing to think about, Snapey." Fred stated.

"Call me crazy, but I'm starting to think that they'll end up together." I replied. George and Fred snorted and laughed. Ginny gave me a crazed look.

"What makes you say that?" She asked. I shrugged.

"I don't really know. But I'm betting on it."

"I'm willing to take that bet, Snapey." Fred announced cheerfully. He turned and faced me full on. "How about a couple of Galleons that Ronald actually manages to trick Granger into getting with him?"

"I don't think a couple of Galleons will over it, Freddie." George said slyly, wriggling his eyebrows. I narrowed my eyes at them. Where was this going?

Fred stopped walking to gaze at his brother. "I do believe you are correct, Georgie." He turned back to me. "How 'bout this, Snapey: if Ron and Grangerend up hating each other for the rest of time and don't get together, like you seem to be confident that they will, you have to work in George and my joke shop once it's up for business."

Ginny frowned at her brother. "Are you two still hung up on that? I thought Mom made you destroy all your products."

George tisked. "You shame us with your doubt, little Ginevra." I giggled when he used Ginny's actual name, which earned me a fake glare from Ginny and a wide smile from George.

We entered the line for boats beside the lake. It looked like we were heading for a massive dock in the center of the lake. While in the line, Fred turned back to me.

"Do you accept my challenge, little Snapey?" Fred asked in an over-the-top fancy voice.

I tapped my chin and pretended to think hard. "What'll happen if I win the bet and Ron and Hermione end up going out and getting married and having a houseful of children?"

Fred and George laughed themselves red. "One bet at a time Snapey." George said, pretending to wipe a tear away from his amber eyes.

"How about this: say you do end up winning this bet, by some piece of magic lost to the ages, I will gladly do whatever it is within my power to become your dad's favorite student in the history of Hogwarts."

The thought of Fred becoming Dad's teacher's pet was too ridiculous that I laughed and the thought of being cheated out of a good bet came to mind. But if I did win, watching Fred _try _to become Dad's favorite student was too good of an opportunity that I couldn't possibly miss it. So I agreed.

When we made it to the giant dock there was still no sign of Ron or Hermione or even Harry. I was starting to get worried as the clock counted down to five minutes left until the task started. But just then, a lone boat made its way slowly but surely to the dock and Harry Potter stumbled through the crowd to where the champions were gathering.

"Well, he chose a good time to show up." George said with a smile on his face. "Do any of you see what's in his hand?"

I squinted at Harry's clenched fist for a moment. "No; must be something that'll help him with the task."

Suddenly, Ludo Bagman's voice echoed loudly over everyone else's anxious voices. "Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One…two…_three_!"

The whistle echoed shrilly in the cold, still air; the leveled docks erupted with applause. I watched as Krum, Fleur, and Cedric all leapt into the water. Harry, on the other hand, took whatever was in his hand and stuffed it into his mouth. Suddenly he started choking and sputtering, and only a shove from Professor Moody forced him into the freezing lake.

I leaned in towards the water; only a few bubbles were coming up to the surface. "What just happened?" I asked. Ginny was pale and looked frightened.

"Do you see him?" She asked with fear in her voice. Fred and George were looking solemn and worried as well. A familiar voice from farther along the dock cried, "Oh my God: _I've killed Harry Potter_!"

There was an explosion of water that made me cringe straight into George's chest. I recovered just in time to see a finned Harry splash back into the Black Lake. I shook my head with a smile.

"He used gillyweed,"

The next few minutes were tense as everyone anxiously watched the water, waiting for something amazing to happen. But it became painfully obvious that this was not going to be a viewer-friendly task and that we were all going to be forced into waiting for our champions to show up.

After what felt like twenty minutes, the still and icy air started to seep into the shattered joints in my knee. I had grown used to the dull ache by now, but since I wasn't moving as much as I usually do, the pain was getting worse and worse with each passing minute.

After what was probably thirty minutes into the task, I had to sit down on the sodden wooden planks of the dock. As I started massaging my knee, George glanced down at me in confusion. I remembered suddenly that he never found out about my knee or how it came to be hurt. After a few minutes of him looking confused and curious, George crouched down so that we were at eye level.

"So what happened here?" He asked. I thought up with something quick.

"When I was little I hurt my knee playing by the river near our house. It gets like this every winter when the weather gets cold." I explained my false tale to him carefully, knowing that he'd read into every detail.

"Wouldn't you have gotten it fixed by now?" George asked. At least with this question I wouldn't have to lie.

"I was told that there's nothing that can be done. My instructions are that every winter I must bear through it."

Anger flashed across George's face suddenly. I met his frustrated amber gaze evenly and the heated light in his eyes faded away. "When our shop opens up, I'm going to make you something that takes away the pain."

"I thought you were making a joke shop." I said. "If I use this product will it instead give me warts that explode every time I try to itch them?"

George snorted with amusement and shook his head. "Nope, it'll help you with these pains of yours every winter."

As I looked into George's eyes, I knew he wasn't joking around. He honestly wanted to help me. "Thank you, George."

George' eyes got even brighter and helped me to my feet. "No problem, anytime."

As time stretched on, we got so bored that we had started playing a heated game of "I Spy". It was my turn when I noticed an angry pair of sky-blue, doe eyes glaring at me from a higher level of docks. I cleared my throat. "I spy an angry Yule Ball date."

"That's original!" Fred declared. He and the others followed my gaze to where Margery Mildenhall was glaring down at all of us. But mostly her angry gaze was directed at me. George groaned from my shoulder and turned away. The rest of us followed suit.

"What's her problem?" I asked.

"Wasn't she your date, George?" Ginny asked.

"Does she happen to have a sister?" Fred asked. I elbowed him in the stomach.

George sighed and stared out at the lakeshore. "After the Yule Ball she got this wild idea in her head that we were officially dating or something. I tried to tell her that we only went as friends, but that Hufflepuff is about as stubborn as a Slytherin sometimes. No offense, Snapey."

"None taken," I said with narrowed eyes. The fact that Margery thought that she and George were together made me want to jinx her all the way to Timbuktu.

Suddenly there was a break in the water. All thoughts of hexing Margery into a toad were thrown from my mind as I rushed to the railing to see a silvery blond head bob in the water. Fleur Delacour managed to swim all the way to the docks, but something was wrong. Tears were spilling from her eyes and she was screaming to go back in.

"She is my _sizter_! I cannot jus' 'eave her there!" It took Madam Maxime and several girls from Beauxbatons to calm Fleur down. I turned to the others with realization a heavy stone in my stomach.

"I think I just figured out where Ron and Hermione are,"


	27. 27: Aftermath

It wasn't that long a wait until Cedric surfaced with an Asian girl clutching his arm. I cheered along with the others but I was nervously waiting for Harry to show up with Ron and Hermione. Cedric and the girl were escorted to a special section of the docks in order to dry off. Without thinking I started marching towards them. George watched me go but must've figured out what I was doing because he didn't bother stopping me.

It didn't take much to sneak by the so-called guards to the champions' section. I just had to point at the water and shout that I saw something. That distracted them well enough and I was let into the champions' section.

"I don't think many professors would approve of you sneaking in here, Snape," Cedric said softly. He nudged the girl with his elbow. "This is Cho Chang, by the way."

Cho gave me a small and sweet smile. "Hello; I take it as your Professor Snape's daughter."

"That I am," I replied. My breath was floating up gently into the air. "I came to ask you both a question."

"Anything," Cedric said, scooting forward in his seat to get closer. Cho did the same.

"Did you see Harry while you were down there?" I asked. "Or maybe Ron Weasley or Hermione Granger; any of them?"

"I saw Harry right before I grabbed Cho." Cedric replied. "He was right beside some ginger bloke. I assume that's your Ron Weasley?"

"That would be him. Did you see Hermione? She has got bushy hair, brown eyes, and she might've been taken for the task."

Cedric frowned. "I saw one girl like that. I think she might be Krum's prize." Cho shuddered from a gust of icy wind and snuggled close to Cedric.

I nodded and smiled at the two of them. "Thanks, Cedric."

I weaved back to the others, who were eagerly awaiting my return. "Well, what did he say?" Ginny asked right as I arrived.

I told them what Cedric had said. Right as I finished, a loud splashing rang loudly in our ears. We all dived to the railing just as Krum transformed from shark to his usual burly appearance. Hermione was with him.

The only reason why we cheered was because Hermione was finally back. We all wormed our way to the champions' section. The second Hermione saw us she sprang out of her seat and embraced me in a tight and sopping wet hug.

"Are you okay?" I asked her. Hermione released me and gave a dry sob.

"I'm fine; it's just so _cold_. How long was I down there, d'you reckon?"

I shrugged and Fred jumped forward to answer. "I'd say about all morning. It'll be a miracle if you don't get ill from this."

"What?" Hermione asked. Her eyes widened and she genuinely looked worried that she would miss schoolwork because of this task.

George grinned evilly. "Oh yeah; you'll be in bed all month with this chill."

Hermione snorted as Krum appeared at her shoulder like a vulture. When Hermione turned towards him, he jerked his head in a silent way of telling her to follow him. Hermione said goodbye and went after him. I started leading the way back to our spots.

"She won't really get sick will she?" Ginny asked. I shook my head.

"Nah, Madam Pomfrey will keep Hermione well enough to keep her grades."

"Pity," George muttered from my side. "It would've been pretty neat to see how Granger would deal with the pressure of being normal."

All that was left was to wait for Harry to resurface with Ron. Meanwhile, Fleur Delacour was crying silently over with the other Beauxbaton students. I felt cold as I realized that her little sister was down there. What would happen to her? I really wanted to know, but then again, I was terrified of finding out.

Suddenly, two heads bobbed up from the black depths. I easily recognized Ron's blazing red hair amidst the dark water. But the other head was silvery blond: Fleur's baby sister. My breath caught in my throat; where was Harry?

Ron started helping the little girl to the docks and behind him another head burst from the water. Harry's face was frighteningly white and he looked horrified, but he kept swimming and caught up with Rona and Fleur's sister.

The three were helped up as I ran with George, Fred, and Ginny on my heels towards the champions' section. We made it just in time to see Harry throw up a lot of water. Hermione threw the towel she had had around her shoulders onto Harry's back. Fleur was clutching her sister and sobbing. Ron just looked dazed.

"Harry, well done!" Hermione was cheering. "You did it!"

"Yeah, that's right," Harry said gruffly, his voice still thick with water. Krum joined the group.

"You haff a water beetle in your 'air, Herm-own-ninny," Krum said in his broken English. I got the impression that Krum was drawing her attention back onto himself; perhaps to remind her that he had just rescued her from the lake. But Hermione brushed away the beetle impatiently and said, "You're well outside the time limit, though, Harry…Did it take you ages to find us?"

"No…I found you okay…" Harry's answer was interrupted by Fleur. Now that I got a good look at her, I noticed that she had many cuts on her face and arms and her robes were torn, but she didn't seem to care, nor would she allow Madam Pomfrey to clean them.

"Look after Gabrielle," Fleur told her, and then she turned to Harry. "You saved 'er, even though she was not your 'ostage."

"Yeah," Harry said slowly. Fleur suddenly swooped down, kissed Harry twice on each cheek (Harry's face turned an extreme shade of red that I was surprised that steam didn't come out of his ears). Then Fleur turned to Ron. "And you too—you 'elped."

Ron nodded excitedly. Fleur swooped in on him as well. Hermione looked simply furious and Ginny's expression matched mine: bewilderment. Ludo Bagman chose that time to announce the final scores.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows…

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

There was applause from the docks.

"I deserved zero," Fleur said throatily, shaking her shiny head.

"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour." Enormous cheers came from the yellow and black wearing Hufflepuffs. I saw Cho give Cedric a glowing look. "We therefore award him forty-seven points.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points."

Karkaroff clapped particularly hard, looking very superior.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect," Bagman continued. "He returned last and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."

I smiled and raised my eyebrows at Harry. He turned red in embarrassment and started studying his feet.

"Most of the judges feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However…Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."

Harry was now tied for first place with Cedric! I jumped up and down with Ginny and cheered with the rest of the group. Bagman continued his speech after everyone's cries died down.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June. The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."


	28. 28: Padfoot Returns

Everyone was very keen on getting information out of Ron and Hermione and the other hostages once the second task was finished. At first they both told the same story: that Dumbledore had put the hostages under a deep sleeping spell and had assured them that none of them were in any real danger. Next thing I knew, Ron was telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which he struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who had to beat him into submission before tying him up.

"But I had my wand hidden up my sleeve," He assured the Indian girl who had been his date for the Yule Ball. She appeared to be much more interested in him now that Ron was getting so much attention.

"I could've taken those mer-idiots any time I wanted." Ron bragged to a large group of people in the Entrance Hall one day.

"What were you going to do, snore at them?" I asked scathingly as I passed by. Hermione, who had been with me at the time, gave me an approving glance. People had been teasing her so much about being the thing that Viktor Krum would miss that she was in a rather tetchy mood.

After I called him out though, Ron's ears turned red and thereafter, he reverted back to the bewitched sleep version of events.

As we entered March, the weather became drier; my knee no longer gave me the severe cramps it once had. But with the warmth came cruel winds that skinned our hands and faces every time we ventured onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because owls kept getting blown off course. One day, as I was finishing my breakfast, Harry sped-walked over to my seat. Several Slytherins glared at him and whispered. I narrowed my eyes at him with annoyance as he got closer. But Harry didn't slow down to chat; instead, he said one word before speed-walking towards the Entrance Hall.

"Padfoot,"

I stared at Harry's back as he left. Sirius Black couldn't have been stupid enough to come back, could he? I stood up quickly and left my muffin behind in order to follow Harry. He was waiting with Ron and Hermione in the main hall directly outside the Great Hall.

"Padfoot?" I asked. Harry nodded his head grimly.

"He's come back to Hogsmeade." Harry said shortly. "He sent me a letter; he wants us all to visit him this Saturday during the Hogsmeade trip and to bring him as much food as we can."

"I can't believe him," Hermione said incredulously. "If he's caught…"

"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?" Ron dismissed. "And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore."

The weight of his words filled the air. Although it was true that Sirius hadn't been caught yet, the village of Hogsmeade was filled to the brim with reporters of the Triwizard Tournament lately. If the wrong person spotted him, his escape with Buckbeak would've been all for nothing.

* * *

We all left the school grounds at noon that Saturday to find a silver sun shining down upon the grounds. The weather was milder than it had been all year, and by the time we entered Hogsmeade, my leg had almost stopped limping. The food that Sirius had told us to bring was in Harry's bag. I had managed to sneak a dozen chicken legs, a loaf of bread, and a flask of pumpkin juice from the kitchen.

As we made our way towards the edge of the village, I realized that I had never been there before. The cottages were fewer here, and their gardens were larger; we were walking toward the foot of the mountain in whose shadow Hogsmeade lay. We turned a corner and saw a stile at the end of the lane. Waiting for us, its front paws on the topmost bar, was a very large, shaggy black dog, which was carrying some newspapers in its mouth and looking very familiar…

"Hello there, Padfoot," I said, smiling down at the great canine.

The black dog sniffed Harry's bag eagerly, wagged its tail once, then turned and began to trot away from us across the scrubby patch of ground that rose to meet the rocky foot of the mountain. Without a word, we all climbed over the stile and followed.

Sirius led us to the very foot of the mountain, where the ground was covered with boulders and rocks. It was easy for him with his four paws, but the rest of us were soon out of breath. We followed Sirius higher, up onto the mountain itself. For nearly half an hour we climbed the steep, winding, and stony path, following Sirius's wagging tail.

The, at last, Sirius slipped out of sight, and when we reached the place where he vanished, we saw a narrow fissure in the rock. I led the way, squeezing into it and finding myself in a cool, dimly lit cave. Tethered at the end of it, one end of his rope around a large rock was Buckbeak the hippogriff. His fierce orange eyes flashed at the sight of us. We all had to pause to bow to him, and after regarding us for a moment, Buckbeak bent his scaly front knees and allowed Hermione to rush forward and stroke his feathery neck. Out of the corner of my eye, the giant, shaggy dog just turned into the human version of Sirius Black.

Sirius was still wearing the same clothes he had worn when he left Azkaban. Hid black hair was longer and it was untidy and matted even more. He looked very thin.

"Chicken!" He said hoarsely after removing the old _Daily Prophets _from his mouth and throwing them onto the cave floor. "Thanks," He said, opening it, grabbing a drumstick, sitting down on the cave floor, and tearing a large chunk with his teeth. "I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself."

"What're you doing here, Sirius?" Harry asked curtly.

"Fulfilling my duty as a godfather," Sirius answered, gnawing on a chicken bone in a very doglike way. "Don't worry about it; I'm pretending to be a loveable stray." He was still grinning, but seeing the seriousness in Harry's face, he added more seriously. "I want to be on the spot. Your last letter…well, let's just say things are getting fishier. I've been stealing newspapers every time someone throws one out, and by the looks of things, I'm not the only one who's getting worried."

He nodded at the yellowing _Daily Prophets_ on the cave floor, and Ron stopped down to pick them up. Harry was still staring at Sirius.

"What if they catch you? What if you're seen?"

"You four and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus." Sirius said with a shrug. He continued to devour the chicken leg.

Sirius mainly wanted to know about the tasks and if we were all safe and happy. I was pleased to see that he only commented on my lack of resemblance to Dad only three times. After an hour of catching up, Hermione glanced at her watch and exclaimed that we should be heading back. Ron and Hermione led the way out. Harry gave Sirius one last hug before climbing in after them. I made a move to follow them but Sirius's voice called me back.

"Calla, you know I wouldn't ask you to do this if it wasn't in Harry's best interest," Sirius said quickly. I glanced over my shoulder to the entrance and back to Sirius. I nodded. "Good; I want you to keep a very close eye on Karkaroff. With the friendship you mentioned that's striking up between him and your father, I fear something might be amiss. Promise me that'll you'll keep an eye on him, for Harry, of course."

"I promise," I said.

Sirius smiled warmly at me. "Thank you so much, Calla. It might be dangerous, but I know that we both want Harry to be safe."

I nodded and left him behind. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were waiting a few yards ahead. Gasping and sweating, we climbed down the mountainside and back to the castle. All the while I thought of what dangers could be ahead of us all.


	29. 29: The Parting of Ways

The day of the third task came and with it all the excitement that had been escalating ever since the Goblet first appeared. Ginny and I had met up after getting ready and were waiting for Luna to hurry and finish eating so that we could start for the arena.

Jaime hadn't spoken to me since at all ever since that night in the Common Room. Right now he was sitting beside Draco, munching on an apple. Both boys had their heads bent close together and were whispering. When Jaime raised his eyes to glance at me, I got a sour feeling in my throat.

"What happened between you two?" Ginny asked, sensing the tension between us. Jaime dropped his gaze and I shrugged.

"Some people would rather suffer an amazing lie than face a painful truth."

Ginny raised her eyebrows at my words but didn't bring it up. Luna finished her dinner and together we marched out to the Quidditch pitch.

"Remember that vision in Professor Trelawney's class; the one with the snakes and lions?" Luna asked about halfway down the slope.

"That was ages ago, Luna." I said.

"I know! But I dreamed it last night. I actually saw everything!"

"I thought you saw all of it the first time!" Ginny exclaimed. Luna shook her head.

"No; I only saw the first part. Trelawney saw everything else."

I rolled my eyes. "That's fantastic, Luna; any reason why you're telling us all of this?"

Luna blinked her wide eyes. "No; I just thought I'd let you know."

All talk of dreams was wiped from our minds as we entered the stadium. A hedge about fifteen feet high blocked our view of the rest of the stadium and a thick mist hung over it, refusing everyone the privilege of seeing what was going to happen. I got the feeling that this would be another boring task.

"They need to start thinking about making these challenges more viewer-friendly." Ginny remarked. I nodded my agreement as people started taking seats as close as they could. Thankfully, because we had gotten there so early, we got front row seats. Hermione and Ron took seats next to us and I recognized Cho Chang taking a seat behind us.

Fred and George strolled in with their crowd of friends behind them. Both twins had their betting boxes slung around their necks and were conversing about money issues. George caught my eye and waved. I smiled and waved back.

"Feeling friendly, aren't we?" Ginny asked knowingly. I had finally told her and Hermione about George and me a few nights ago. Hermione then informed me that they already figured it out; they were just waiting for me to admit it.

The stands filled up incredibly fast. Professor Flitwick's small band started playing loudly as the girls from Beauxbatons started doing a choreographed cheer. The crowd morphed into a thunderous tidal wave of people as the champions entered the stadium. Cedric looked slightly nervous but was grinning broadly nonetheless. Fleur flipped her long and silvery blond hair around a few times. Krum glared at the crowd and was saluted to by the Durmstrang boys. I noticed Ivan at the front of them. And Harry looked panicked but with a forced calm sense about him.

Dumbledore stood in front of the crowd and raised his arms for silence. It took a few moments of shushing, but eventually everyone shut up long enough for Professor McGonagall to speak to the champions.

"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze. If you get into difficulty and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?" The champions nodded.

"Off you go then!" Bagman said brightly to the four patrollers.

"Good luck, Harry," I whispered into my hands, remembering the promise I had made to Sirius. The champions walked away in different directions, ready to start the final task. Bagman pointed his wand to his throat and spoke to the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each—Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points—Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place—Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!

"So…on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" Bagman said. "Three—two—one—"

He gave a short blast on the whistle, and Harry and Cedric hurried forward into the maze.

After about seventeen minutes, we came to the terms that Ginny's prediction about the task was true. Time ticked on and on, causing me to yawn and feel drowsy. At some point, I watched Fred and George leave their seats to continue their betting business. That's when something out of the corner of my eye came to my attention.

Jaime was leaning over the rail of the stands. He was leaning in towards Dad. I watched closely as Dad's face transformed from one of bored endurance to a rage filled mask of hatred. The sour feeling in my throat returned when Jaime glanced quickly at me with jealousy brimming in his eyes.

Dad stormed around the railings and into the stands. I watched in horror as he went straight to George Weasley and yanked him out of sight by the scruff of the neck. Jaime hesitated but followed them. I leapt to my feet and ran as fast as I could after them. I had just rounded the corner to catch up to them when I crashed directly into Ivan.

"Cal-ha, you must listen to me!" Ivan said in a clipped voice. I glanced over his shoulder and spotted Dad yanking George farther and farther away from the stadium.

"No; sorry, Ivan, but I _have _to help him! Who knows what Dad will do to George if I don't get there now! _Let go of me_!"

"Cal-ha, this is important! Now shut up and listen!" Ivan shook me. I stared up at him with tears threatening to fall. Ivan sighed and removed his hands. "Do you revember ven I told you about Florence?" I nodded. Ivan's face twisted in pain. "I 'ad to let 'er go. She didn't 'ave a drop of magical blood in her. My father didn't vant us together because of this."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked cruelly. Ivan flinched as if I had slapped him.

"Florence was stubborn; var too stubborn for 'er own good. She didn't vant to be apart from me. And I didn't vant to be apart from 'er. But then my father told me that he'd kill 'er if I didn't stop seeing her."

A wave of icy cold air swept over me. My mind was suddenly filled with visions of lions and snakes…

"I told 'er that I never loved 'er. I broke 'er 'eart so that she vould live. She is getting married to another man now; a Muggle. She may 'ave moved on, but I never will. But I will suffer this pain if it means that she'll get to live life the way _we _vere supposed to."

I looked into Ivan's pale eyes. "So you're saying…?"

"Hurt him to save him," Ivan left.

I left the shadow of the stadium to where Dad was confronting George. Jaime stood at his side, with his wand clenched tightly in his hand. Tears threatened to pour from my eyes, but I forced them back.

Two snakes…a golden lion fighting valiantly. I saw it now. I was stupid to push the prophecy from my mind; stupid to think that George and I could last without any consequences; stupid to even hope for it.

"You're wasting your time, you know?" I asked loudly as I got within their earshot. All three men turned towards me; Dad was seething; Jaime looked jealous and ashamed at the same time; George actually appeared hopeful, now that I was there. I felt a crack form in my heart.

"What do you mean, we're wasting our time?" Jaime asked shrilly. Although he appeared ashamed, rage and jealousy was overpowering any other emotion he was feeling. George gave him a sharp glance.

"I'm talking about whatever you plan on doing to Weasley here," I said nonchalantly. Dad narrowed his eyes at me. The hope that had been in George's face flickered just a tad. "Weasley here is nothing to me. Hurting him isn't going to cause harm to anyone but himself."

George gaped at me and hurt filled his eyes. At the sight, my heart started hurting. I wanted nothing more than to run to him and hold on; hold on to the memories of the Astronomy Tower; to those secret looks we had often shared walking through the corridors; to everything that had made George…George.

Dad glared at George with one last look full of loathing, and then he turned on his heel and stalked past us all. But not without one glance at his pathetic daughter. Jaime stared after him and found himself between two heartbroken teenagers. So he ran after my father. George stared at me with anguish flooding his eyes.

"You don't mean that," He said with a shaking voice. "I _know _you don't."

"I'm sorry, George," I said coldly. The thought of confessing to him that it was all fake came in to my mind a million times. But I had to sell the idea that I never felt anything for him. "I'm so sorry for making you believe that."

"Let me ask you this," George asked suddenly. The pain in his eyes had been replaced by fiery rage. "Did any of it mean _anything _to you? Or are you just a better actress than I thought?"

I couldn't answer without bursting into tears. And so my jaw remained locked tightly. George shook his head once and stormed past me. I don't know how long I stood there in the chilly night air. I finally allowed a shaking breath escape my lips before the sobs. The only thing I could see was the way those amber eyes had burned like fire with hatred.

"Weasleys," I managed to choke out through the crying. "Quick to anger; slow to realize what's in front of their faces."


	30. 30: When You're Young

Cedric Diggory was dead. Professor Moody had been a fraud the entire time. I had seen the imposter when they were dragging him away. He could've been handsome, if he bathed. A mop of dark brown hair grazed his eyebrows and his eyes had been warm once. But they were hard and cold now. He winked at me as he was dragged away.

Word about my secret relationship with George and our dramatic split spread across the room like a forest fire. George wasn't the only Weasley who was upset with me either. Ron made a point of sneering at me in the corridors. Fred stayed by his twin's side and whenever I was near, he would glare at me viciously. Ginny was mad at me too, before Hermione forced her to see reason. The way I had confessed to them about George was apparently enough for them to believe me. And also my love life wasn't the worst thing that had happened during the evening of the third task.

Lord Voldemort had returned. Karkaroff had vanished into thin air after feeling the Dark Mark on his arm burn. Dad showed me his own Mark: a dark black snake dancing out of the mouth of a skull. Several students didn't believe Harry. They thought that he was doing it for attention. Just like people didn't believe me about George.

On the last breakfast in Hogwarts, just a few hours before the train swept us all back home, Professor Dumbledore gave us a speech for the boy who had been Cedric Diggory. I sat next to Astoria Greengrass, who had the decency to at least pretend I wasn't there and not look at me as if I had just killed someone. Everyone else was doing a fine job at that.

"The end of another year," Professor Dumbledore began. His blue eyes seemed to pierce everyone in the Great Hall. He glanced at the Hufflepuff table; theirs were still the saddest and palest of everyone in the room. "There is much that I would like to say to all tonight, but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here, enjoying our feast with us all. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."

We did it, all of us; the benches scraped as everyone in the Hall stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice. "Cedric Diggory,"

I caught a glimpse of Cho Chang from across the Hall. There were tears pouring down her face. I looked back down at the table as we all sat down again.

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff House." Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."

I raised my head and stared at Dumbledore.

"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

A panicked whisper swept the Great Hall. People were staring at Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. He looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence.

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so—either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."

Stunned and frightened, every face in the Hall was turned toward Dumbledore now…or almost every face. Farther down the table, I spotted Draco Malfoy muttering something to Crabbe and Goyle. I felt a hot, sick swoop of anger in my stomach. I forced myself to look back at Dumbledore.

"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death," Dumbledore went on. "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."

A kind of ripple crossed the Great Hall as a few heads turned in Harry's direction before flicking back to Dumbledore.

"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore said. "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him." Dumbledore turned gravely to Harry and raised his goblet once more. I immediately followed suit.

Once everyone who actually stood for Harry resumed their seats, Dumbledore continued. "The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what had happened—of Lord Voldemort's return—such ties are more important than ever before.

"Every guest in this Hall," Dumbledore said, and his eyes lingered upon the Durmstrang students. "Will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again—in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.

"It is my belief—and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken—that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst.

"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

* * *

My trunk was packed; Rowling was back in her cage on top of it. I was waiting for the carriages with Ginny and Luna on either side of me. It was another beautiful summer day, but the warmth felt on my skin didn't do anything to the cold I felt inside. The thought of returning to Spinner's End didn't help any of it.

"Could I have a vord?" I turned to see Ivan strolling up to me. He had come to say goodbye.

I nodded and stood aside from the others to speak with him. The second we were far enough away, I asked him. "Does it ever get easier?"

Ivan took in my puffy, red eyes and my face blotched with red. He smiled sadly and shook his head slowly. "It still kills me inside."

I sighed and forced the new tears to stay inside my eyes. Ivan looked like he regretted saying anything. "Listen, Cal-ha, I think you should write to me this summer; just to help you through this."

"Thank you, Ivan," I said. "You've been a good friend to me." Ivan smiled and started to turn away. Overwhelmed by sudden gratitude, I quickly wrapped my arms around him in a hug. There was a brief hesitation before Ivan hugged me back. He bowed slightly to me before walking away to the lake.

"This has been one of the roughest years ever," Ginny stated as we entered our carriage. Luna nodded while I stared outside.

"That's an understatement," I commented. Ginny looked at me with compassionate eyes; with amber eyes.

"I know it looks hopeless now, Calla, but trust me when I tell you: George will forgive you. It may not be anytime soon, but he won't hate you forever. In fact, I'm not entirely sure he hates you right now."

I nodded and watched the castle of Hogwarts fade away into the distance. I then vowed that I would see the day where George Weasley didn't hate me. I tightened my jaw and began waiting for my fourth year to start already.


End file.
